


Plot Twist.

by WynterOwens



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A lot of weird things, America AU, Celebrities, F/F, F/M, I'm Sorry, M/M, Marauders, Modern AU, Please give some feedback
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:52:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WynterOwens/pseuds/WynterOwens
Summary: Harry was the boy raised by Hollywood stars, a spoiled brat.Draco was the boy raised by a single mother, a humble child.They are both brought together by a twist of fate, a single phone call that changed both of their lives.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Draco shut his eyes for the night, he wished for something- Anything to happen to him to help. To help him deal with this overwhelming responsibility and try to do everything the way it needs to be done. To score him something regarding music or video making in some way, but that wish was more of a want. 
> 
> Didn't stop the thought from comforting him as he exhaled slowly.
> 
> \--
> 
> As Harry opened his eyes, he wished for something- Anything to happen so he could get out of this. Maybe, if he'd had a normal life, he wouldn't be so new to taking responsibility or working. He would learn and be normal like other kids his age. He wished he could be like Ron or Hermione, who had more average lives with an edge of luxury.
> 
> All his riches taste the same. His parents adored him and gave him what he wanted. His godfather fawned on him, helping and persuading him to go for certain ladies or men. Remus was the only one who treated him like a real person, and who knew where that man was most of the time.  
> \--
> 
> They got a bit a twist from what they were looking for.

"Way to go, Harry!"

Those words had been repeated into the young man's ears in some way or another throughout the entire night.

He greeted it with a bright grin, feeling a stroke of pride down his spine. Nothing elated him more than this success. Except, maybe, the perks that came with it. Whether that be in the form of girls hanging off his arms or shots coming straight from the neon lit bar. He was, what, three drinks in? It didn't really matter anymore. 

He had his father and family friends with him. He was alright.

Maybe the best part about it was the gleam of pride reflecting in James's eyes as he looked back at his son and raised a glass, "To Harry!'

"To Harry!"

Well, now. There seemed to be a crowd growing around them. Everyone celebrating, shoving at the dark haired boy's shoulder and complimenting him. Sure, he may have been used to this treatment due to the expensive childhood he'd had laid out for him.

The news had shaken the world at first. James Potter, dashing foreign actor, made the decision to stay in the United States for reasons unknown; he'd always say it was because roles were easier to get here in America. Magazines were plastered with gossip regarding the future for the twenty-one year old. Then came that candid photo from one of James's best friends, the photo that sailed across the world. The photo that blew them out of the water.

\--

Fourth of July, when spirits were high and sarcasm spreading within James's breast. Why, that was simply ironic. Why would a kid from the UK sit here watching people sent up fireworks to celebrate a British loss? His answer came in the form of a sweet, redheaded beauty holding sparklers in both hands. A beautiful field filled with people on blankets, kids running around and playing, and loud music blasting.

She was radiant, dancing with Sirius as 'Don't Stop Believing' played for maybe the sixth time. Sirius had begged to come along to meet the beauty James had just barely revealed to him through talks of perfect teeth and warm eyes. Since Moony and their other friend couldn't come, it wasn't as good as it could have been. But it was great, regardless.

Her shorts were American flag patterned, and she had a large white tee that hung off her shoulders. Lily's hair was up in a bun, wavy strands just peaking out. Her smile was illuminated by her blinking sunglasses; red, white, and blue, naturally.

And, Dear Lord, her laugh.

Her head was tipped back ever slightly, lipstick lips open in a wild grin as she cracked up. Sirius kept singing, knowing his terrible serenading was the source of her laughter. Though, that wasn't the source of her happiness.

Soon enough, the night was dwindling. Her shades were tucked into the front of James's shirt and they stood against the fence that bordered the field. Kids had settled to watch the fireworks boom, and everyone was in this lull of blissful excitement. Lily's hair was messy in her bun from dancing; James mused, playing with a strand idly.

She was talking, and he listened the way he did. Mildly distracted by her voice and natural beauty. Past the bright red painting her lips, Lily had no makeup. Her freckles and lashes stood out, but they had nothing on those beautiful green eyes of hers. Once in a while, he'd nod, mumble a fact or two to keep her going. Keep that beautiful melody flowing to his ears.

What she was confiding in him was information. She'd been spending the last few weeks working with a record company, composing an album of her own. Soft music, Sirius had called it back at the hotel, but honest lyrics and true talent. A gentle southern accent of hers slipped through to the lyrics, and when she tried to sing quickly, she sounded like home.

That was how she sounded now, trying to sing along with music that was now faintly playing in the background of their humid, romantic scene.

"Lily," He grinned, shaking his head as she began to make silly faces. But, how could anyone be serious whilst singing of going to the Candy Shop? 

Without a second thought, he placed his hands on either side of her head, fingers drawing more hair out of her, and nuzzled their noses together. Her fingers slipped to fiddle with the hem of his shirt, a fond giggle emerging from her lips just moments before she leaned up.

A liplock, in time with the ending of a song. Embers fading into the night behind them as their surroundings blurred.

Sirius took the photo, and both Lily and James encouraged him to hand it over to the public.

A picture perfect romance; why keep it a secret?

\--

With Lily taking an active career in the music industry, she reached fame well before she became known as "James's Girl". Not that she minded the title. She had a name of her own, though, and she was free from her boring, miserable life. James encouraged her and spent his time working as well. After a while, the house was filled with more than just the newly wedded couple. Sirius and Lupin soon came to live with them in search of American lifestyle.

Once their visas were confirmed, they just decided to stay where they were at. It was exciting to live with them, especially with the fame all four of them brought.

Sirius easily became part of the film industry, enjoying the capturing image of life that he sold. He and Remus worked hand-in-hand, for the other male worked with screenplays.

Lupin was a writer, and Sirius brought his ideas to life.

Not too long after they fell into this pattern, debts were paid and net worth was skyrocketing. This allowed immense comfort for the beautiful baby that came along, a small bloke by the name of Harry. By first mention, Harry was famous.

With four people raising him, it was easy for him to get what he wanted, and, in essence, become spoiled. James's Mini-Me got used to people doting on him, taking care of him so he didn't have to take responsibility. At first, it was fine. But, honestly, Lily had had enough with it, that being the reason she stayed home tonight.

The boys were out celebrating Harry's newest album drop at the most expensive club they could find, intending on getting drunk and getting Harry a girl.

Needless to say, by the end of the night, Harry had made the news in an interesting manner.

\-------------

"Damn," Blaise breathed, scrolling on his phone. "'Up-and-Coming Star, Harry Potter, Caught Grinding In Paris Inc Nightclub'. You'd think they'd write about some interesting shit, but, no, the guy literally just went out, got drunk, and got some."

"Is there a metaphorical way of doing it?"

"Shut up, Drac," The dark skinned boy laughed as he kicked his friend in the side.

Said blond didn't do more than shrug with a grin, "Just saying."

The boys sat in Blaise's living room, lounging across the furniture. Draco had taken to sprawling out on the ottoman, while Blaise laid on the couch. For the last hour, they'd been decompressing from school stress by eating pizza rolls and looking at pictures on their phones. Of which, Malfoy supplied them with memes and relatable pictures, and the dear Zambini took an interest in the news.

"Come on," Draco started after a while, "We need to work on homework. Mr. Slughorn is expecting our packet done by tomorrow."

A beat.

A look of horror from Blaise.

"What packet?"

"Well, shit," A sharp, feminine voice flowed in from the doorway. "I forgot it."

"Why am I friends with you two idiots, again?"

"Because you love us, Draco," Pansy answered, sitting in front of the coffee table. "And because we make you feel smart."

Another beat. Blaise even peeked up at the boy, who was now looking up.

Staring off into the distance as though he was honestly considering her words, he nodded, "True."

Then, they all shared a laugh.

\--

Any essence of a good mood faded when Draco departed from his friends. The last hour or two spent together was used for studying, laughter, and fun. They made waffle sandwiches, finished their chemistry packets for tomorrow, and even video-called their friend, Tom. Though, Tom could be a bore sometimes. Today, he seemed to be entertained by something, so he was in a social mood.

Draco's smile slipped away when he remembered what he'd be going home to.

\--

A mistake.

That's what it was.

It had to be.

Narcissa checked three times, buying test after test. How could this have happened?

Here's what happened.

Last month, A certain Malfoy took a vacation to America. He held a fling with a pretty young girl he'd met in a coffee shop. No extravagent romance, but they could have been if he wanted her badly enough.

The two had just clicked, falling into rhythm with one another by the first date. Trips to the beach, hikes across trails, small dates soon escalated to a deep, building desire.

One day, it snapped.

Sweet, chaste kisses became deeper, and their hands began to roam. Clothes found their way to the ground, and the rain became their mood music.

Two more times, and that was that.

Lucius departed for home, and they broke it off before he left. Narcissa couldn't help but agree with him. Their futures didn't line up. She was heading off to medical school, and he was off to become a politician in England. Long distance wouldn't work, and they hadn't known each other long enough to stake their financial and future stability on a momentary love.

She wished Lucius was still there to hold her, comfort her as her dreams were stolen from her.

With a growing fetus and a traditional family, she kissed away her full ride through college. There was no way she could take care of a child while at college. Her parents were upset at her already for being young and stupid enough to get pregnant. The rest of her family laughed at her, rolling their eyes at her misery.

It may have been a mistake, but the results were absolute; perfect.

A child by the name of Draco Malfoy was born early in the morning. Despite the pains of natural birth, she held her child and relaxed. She watched every detail of his wrinkled face as the daylight found its way across her sleeping dragon.

Things became easier with time. She could hold two jobs, relying on her sister, Andromeda, and dear cousin, Regulus, to help her with her son. They were reliable and rather enthralled by the child, glad to help. The situation was tense occasionally from money or stress, but they did their best to give Draco a normal childhood. With Andromeda's experience with childcare and Regulus's seriousness, the young boy was growing into a responsible young man.

\--

A lonely house, barely lit to save on electric bills.

He barely hit the first stair on the porch when his mother's car pulled into the drive behind him. After a brief pause, he turned and waved as she got out of the car.

"Hello, Honey," were the first words out of her mouth as those lipstick stained lips turned up. The smile didn't meet her eyes, a tiredness residing within the woman's form.

Draco turned, smiling an awkward grimace back and engaging in small talk as he helped her bring her bags inside. For all that she'd done for him, he only thought it was right to help her any way he could. Especially now, as she lost sleep trying to reach her long lost dreams. Dreams she would have attained if it weren't for him. It was times like these that he wished Regulus was still around. As strict and traditional as the man was, he still had treated Draco as a son.

He was the only one to remind Draco, without a prompt, that he wasn't a burden or an obstacle in his mother's life.

Too bad he was in jail, though. 

Hey, at least Aunt Andromeda was home, too. She tended to sugar coat things and lecture about the raisings of her own child, but there was something about that tedious domestic attitude that was refreshing and almost comforting. And she always had good stories to distract him with.

Draco always seemed to need a distraction. Or else, he'd probably crack under pressure.

At age eighteen, the blond spent the most of his time either studying or working at the liquor store at the end of the block. He needed to help pay for rent, which they'd never been able to comfortably afford. At some point, the boy needed to get a license. Not that they had anything more than Aunt Andromeda's car to drive, so he'd need to save up for that as well. And he also had college around the corner. Which is why, as much as he hates homework, he works so hard to get perfect grades.

"End of May or Early June," He hummed under his breath as they made their way in, sparing a look over at the calendar hanging on the wall.

He needed a full ride to even consider going to school. Any extra money would be spent helping his mother while he was away. He couldn't leave her or Aunt Andy to suffer with money budgeting and more stress than they needed.

Speaking of Aunt Andromeda, the woman was sleeping soundly on the couch. Considering how often she was awake, it seemed as though the woman never slept.

This gave more incentive for Draco and Narcissa to quietly go about their nightly routines before departing for their respective rooms.

Once the boy knew both women were asleep, he pulled out his laptop. 

One of the only things, only luxeries, they could afford was internet/WiFi. It was due to the fact that Netflix cost less than cable, and they could watch more online. Not that all of them were too fond of the Internet anyhow. Draco didn't mess with most social media. He had an instagram, but he deleted the Facebook he'd made in middle school. But the site he was most attracted to was Youtube.

Upon connecting, Draco could already feel some of that anxiety and strain alleviating. It was a place to zone out to music and post whatever he wanted. Most of which were covers of songs. Singing or making videos always seemed to help with relieving stress. A tactic he'd gotten from his mother, who used to sing to him with Uncle Regulus. No pressure to be perfect in order to save money. Draco could just sing and read the good and bad comments that filtered in every once in a while.

His channel may not be popular, but he knew that it was a comfortable place to post his music; covers or those few originals. He was safe there, and he had, at least, twenty fans.

And those twenty felt like a million to him.

They made him feel famous and loved, like The Weasley Kids or Oliver Wood.

For tonight, Draco only did a livestream, watching as his avatar appeared in a circle with an all black screen. Just under that, the boy watched for comments, not that there were a lot that flooded in. 

Considering he'd been online for almost two hours before ending his stream, it was safe to say that Draco got everyone's song requests taken care of. There were maybe twelve of them, total. It may not seem like much to a lot of people, but it's still enough for Draco to feel better. To feel as though he still could have a chance to do what he loves, not just what would make him money.

\--

As Draco shut his eyes for the night, he wished for something- Anything to happen to him to help. To assist his mother through rent, through work, through schooling so she could get her full dream job. To help him deal with this overwhelming responsibility and try to do everything the way it needs to be done. To score him something regarding music or video making in some way, but that wish was more of a want. 

Didn't stop the thought from comforting him as he exhaled slowly.

\--

As Harry opened his eyes, he wished for something- Anything to happen so he could get out of this. Maybe, if he'd had a normal life, he wouldn't be so new to taking responsibility or working. He would learn and be normal like other kids his age. He wished he could be like Ron or Hermione, who had more average lives with an edge of luxury.

All his riches taste the same. His parents adored him and gave him what he wanted. His godfather fawned on him, helping and persuading him to go for certain ladies or men. Remus was the only one who treated him like a real person, and who knew where that man was most of the time. Off in his fantasy world, trying to write the next greatest big hit. All his friends were independent, gaining recognition for doing real services and making a name for themselves, and he was trailing behind them, still known as James Potter's kid or Lily's Little Songbird to the press.

He wished for something to make him feel less spoiled, less ungrateful, more normal.

\--

They got a bit a twist from what they were looking for.


	2. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius and James looked at each other, eyes wide and uncomfortable. Lily had edged a little too close to a topic they hadn't brought up to Harry yet. A topic they were supposed to talk to him about last night after he had a good buzz to take it in with.
> 
> "What.. What are you trying to say?"
> 
> Tenderly, she spoke, "Your father was supposed to talk to you about this last night."
> 
> Taking the eggs out of the pan and cleaning up, she made quick of her work and came to sit across from Harry.
> 
> "You're nineteen, Harry. You have more money than any other kid your age, and I think it's time you take a stroke of responsibility. I know it's hard to think about working for something, considering we've all just supplied you with what you need. And I understand that this will be a hard shift, but I think it's something that needs to happen. Now, I would say that your father feels the same or Sirius or Remus, but you know them," Lily joked, drawing a laugh from Harry. "You're our baby, and it will be a hard transition. But this is what's best for your future, Harry, you need to move out."

"Harry, now that you're getting more popular, you need to start watching what you do," Lily began, making eggs on the stove. Harry sat at the breakfast bar to her left, looking a little rough. "The public has always been interested in us. Last night being a perfect example."

"Mum, I didn't even do anything," There was a faint whine in the nineteen year old's voice that made the woman turn to her husband.

James offered no help to her as he looked up from his food. If anything, the brunet looked as though he was about to laugh.

Thankfully, Remus came to her aid, "Harry, you've been aware of press for how long?"

"Since I was little."

"And how long have you understood the stretches of truth they publish?"

"Since I was little," Harry got quieter.

"So, now that you aren't little, did you think they were going to change? Article writers publish what they think the public would be interested in, and at this point in your career, it's you."

"What he means is that they want to see you become the perfect case of a spoiled brat raised by famous parents. We have a whole generation of kids growing up to exceed and excell past any expectation. Take any of the Weasley kids, they are using their money to help others and themselves. They've moved out of their parents' house, set themselves up for success, and not a single one of them has found their way to the news for anything more than helping a charity case," Lily seemed to rant, catching all the boys' attention. 

Sirius and James looked at each other, eyes wide and uncomfortable. Lily had edged a little too close to a topic they hadn't brought up to Harry yet. A topic they were supposed to talk to him about last night after he had a good buzz to take it in with.

"What.. What are you trying to say?"

Harry sounded like a little kid who just found out his parents are divorcing. With this, the men of the room left. Which even Harry was grateful, considering this was a serious conversation.

Tenderly, she spoke, "Your father was supposed to talk to you about this last night."

Taking the eggs out of the pan and cleaning up, she made quick of her work and came to sit across from Harry.

"You're nineteen, Harry. You have more money than any other kid your age, and I think it's time you take a stroke of responsibility. I know it's hard to think about working for something, considering we've all just supplied you with what you need. And I understand that this will be a hard shift, but I think it's something that needs to happen. Now, I would say that your father feels the same or Sirius or Remus, but you know them," Lily joked, drawing a laugh from Harry. "You're our baby, and it will be a hard transition. But this is what's best for your future, Harry, you need to move out."

\----------

"Three weeks until graduation, guys," Pansy squealed, obviously excited by it.

Neville groaned, leaning on Draco and speaking almost in unison with him, "Don't remind me."

"I mean, I'm prepared for it, but I'm also not," The blond mumbled, picking at the bagel he'd gotten from the breakfast line. They were waiting in the foyer for the bell to ring so they could go to their first hour. Blaise was still more asleep than awake, downing coffee after coffee, and he was slumped against Pansy's shoulder on the bench. Neville was obviously leaning on Draco for support as he thought about their future.

The young Longbottom was actually a good friend of his. They had met back in middle school, and at some point, Neville got past the wall of sarcasm and sardonic humor that made up Draco's school mask. After maybe the third bonfire they'd held at Neville's house, the boys could be called best friends. That was more because they shared the same values. They were hard-working, regardless of a money difference. More often than not, they jokingly recited Shakespeare at one another or made science references. So, in essence, Draco and Neville were nerds together.

Hence, why they would sing any time Neville's phone rang.

"Alexander Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton, Just you wait!"

In perfect harmony with one another, they broke into laughter. People looked at them, but Draco didn't mind as much as he would if he'd sung seriously or alone. Once Neville pardoned himself to go take the call, Draco brought out his own phone. Flipping through his feed and stories on Instagram, he was glad to see that he had a new follower. His Instagram was honestly candid photos of his friends and classmates, contrasted and filtered to look professional. Naturally, Draco enjoyed photography, but he hadn't gotten into it until just last summer when he worked for a local photography studio. It was one of the only places hiring.

Going to the plus sign, he brought his phone up.

"Hey," He nudged Pansy with his shoe, bringing the girl to look at him. "Look dramatic or romantic."

Even if they weren't a couple, she and Blaise could play the part. They were that level of inseparable that their senior superlative was "Should have been a couple". Seeing as Blaise was now dozing off on her shoulder, she just turned her head and took one of his empty cups. Setting it in front of her mouth, she closed her eyes peacefully, giving the photo a domestic twist.

Taking the photo, Draco spent a good five minutes fiddling with the contrast and filter. It was photos like this that made Draco truly appreciate his friends. With their fashionable clothing and fantastic skin. The blond could spend all the time in the world doing photoshoots for them. 

Pansy always took care of herself, so she looked good naturally and with makeup. With her sunglasses holding her hair back, she had small strands sticking out. Her shirt hung off her body in just the right ways and complimented her ripped jean shorts and braided bracelets. Blaise looked like the poster boy for male fashion next to her, loose flannel and boots. Whether it was the smooth quality of his skin or the well trimmed facial hair, the dark skinned boy tied in fashion and masculinity.

Settling upon a lo-definition filter, Draco published it alongside a literature quote about appreciation and domestic life.

Pansy squealed so loud in happiness that she woke Blaise up.

\----------

"Thank you so much, man," The dark haired male all but gushed as he pulled his friend in for a hug.

Ron was a livesaver, offering Harry to stay with him and the twins. It'd only been around a week since Lily had told her son to find a place, and it was a lot easier than he thought. What was tricky was trying to find places to rent and meet with up with realtors. It seemed as though the times anyone could meet with him, he had something to do. Whether it be a half-assed photoshoot or an interview. 

Whereas a rant at Ron to get his frustrations out led to his friend fixing his issue, and Harry was ready to cry from relief.

"No worries. Just know that the twins aren't going to go easy on you just because you're new to living here. Vine may be dead, but their pranks aren't," The redhead joked as he helped Harry bring in his bags.

Two hours later and the first prank in, all four of the boys were in the living room, lounging around a box of pizza. MTV played across the screen, and it wasn't too much of a shock to see that Harry's cover of "Alphabet Aerobics" was among its arsenal of music. Fred and George did their best to keep up and sing along, nudging and teasing Harry all the while.

By the end of the night, he got a call from his mother and family of congratulations and that they'd be there to visit come the next weekend. Lily and Sirius spoke almost a half hour each about how proud they were of their little baby. James had a small speech, but he made a promise to have spontaneous visits over to the new crib. Harry couldn't help but cringe at his dad's joking attempts at lingo.

"Close, dad. You'd be coming over to meet the new crew in the best crib around," Harry correctly in sarcasm.

James laughed, "Ah, yes. Pardon me, of course."

Then, as it was a famous joke between the three of them, Remus was heard in the background, "Don't feel bad, James, no one can blame you. You have a flip phone.

"Now, Harry," Remus was holding the phone now, voice a lot closer. "I want you behaving. I know how crazy you boys get when you're together."

Harry spared a look over his shoulder. They were eating pizza and hanging out; how crazy could they really get? "Okay, Moony. I promise to be good."

"No solemn swear?"

"That's for when I know I'm not going to be good."

"Ah, yes. How could I forget?"

Harry laughed. 

"Alright, well, you just let us know if you need anything. I would recommend calling every once in a while, because I think it's still a hard shift for the rest of these guys."

The dark haired boy was shocked and a little offended, "You sound like you don't miss me at all."

"Harry," That parental voice came back, and Harry shut his mouth to listen to Remus. "It isn't that. It's just that I've raised a child before, and when it's time to say so, you have to say goodbye and pray they keep you in their lives. It is their choice, and it's up to you whether or not you keep in constant contact with us. I hope you will, but I also understand that you will have your hands full with work, moving, and dealing with the press. They'll be excited in your sudden move."

"Oh."

"Harry, do not be upset. This is something that needs to happen- that has needed to happen for a while."

"No. No, I get it. I just.. You know, for a second there.."

"No one here is mad at you. We want to make sure you can handle everything on your own. This is your chance to really prove yourself. Make the best of it."

"I will," Harry answered indignantly. 

"I know," Lupin laughed. "Well, I'll let you go. Good night, Harry."

"Night, Moony," Harry hesitated. "Love you."

Before the man could respond, the younger continued, "And Dad, and Siri, And- And Mum. And even Uncle Pettigrew."

"We love you, too, Harry," It was his mother's voice now. It made his eyes slightly mist.

"Good night, love," His father finished with one last whoop from Sirius in the back.

\------------

"Congratulations, Draco Malfoy, you can drive!"

A laugh fell from his lips before anything else, "Thank you."

Aunt Andromeda gave him the biggest hug, handing him his license. With one last big kiss to her little man's cheek, Andy led the way back to the car, "As a last check practice, you get to drive home."

"Oh, is that the reason?"

"And I'm tired as all hell."

Driving was some source of anxiety for the blond, considering he knew they had no car insurance and, therefore, couldn't afford to get into an accident. Draco let out a deep breath and nodded, starting up the car and headed home. Everything went well, and he couldn't help the glorious lift in his chest as he pulled into the drive, looking at his mother who stood on that first step of the porch. She grinned back at him, tired eyes wrinkling at their corners as she saw her son park and get out of the car. As soon as she got a glimpse of the paper license.

"They're mailing the real thing to us, so it should be ready by next week," Draco's voice shook from happiness.

"And does Snape know about it?"

"Yeah, he said he'd be switching me to both stock and drive. Which means, I'll be getting a three dollar lift in hourly wage."

Draco had never seen his mother so happy.

\--

What he wouldn't give to see her like that now.

One night, Draco had been looked in the eyes and told to go home. Snape had gotten a call from Draco's aunt saying that Narcissa had been admitted to the hospital. All Snape said was not to speed on his way to the hospital, and that any time taken off is understood and paid for. The weirdest part of it was that the store owner gave him a hug and a wish of good luck before Draco was out the door.

The warm air moistened his skin, but Draco was slowly breaking into a sweat on the car ride. He was still cautious, but his foot itched to floor it over to the hospital.

High care was given with shaking hands to get the car parked and watched by security while Draco ran in.

"N-Narcissa Black," The blond's voice shook as he got to the front desk. The secretary just looked at him as though he was dumb.

Wrong hospital? No, no. This was the one that Aunt Andy said. She wouldn't lie to him.

"Sir?"

Looking over his shoulder, he was met with a doctor with a good amount of blood all over her lab coat. Draco didn't have a chance to speak before he was interrupted, "You're Narcissa's son, right?"

"Where is she? Cissy?" Another voice yelled as a curly haired lunatic made her way into the hospital. 

Draco barely had a chance to warn them not to let her in before she found her way over to him. Bellatrix clutched the boy by the arms, yelling something in his face. She repeated it a few times, but he could only shake his head. She was acting hysterical.

Bellatrix hardly ever visited them, and she only came over to antagonize the others who held a hand in raising Draco. She was the one who got Regulus sent to jail. Even now, she held little care in her eyes as she exclaimed that she was worried about her sister. What was worse than her acting..

Was that she thought it was Draco's fault somehow.

The boy was more than grateful when Doctor Pomfrey

"It was a matter of stress, M'am. It seems with a financial strain, one wouldn't have an upkeep on their health. She spread herself too thin between work and schooling, as well as low health and general care. She was too tired, and she collapsed outside after her shift. There was glass on the ground," The doctor spoke personally to them, knowing they were Narcissa's family. And as one does when their employees get hurt and brought in, she was more lenient with giving information.

"So.. She just fell in some glass? That's the emergency?"

"No, the emergency is her general health. She's underweight and in need of disability paperwork to assist her daily living, and Draco," She called the boy's attention. "We will need to check you as well."

"How much will it cost?"

"Son-"

"I'm not doing anything that we cannot afford. I'm not putting her under more stress."

"Draco, listen to the-"

"I want to see my mother, now."

Upon request, Draco was taken to his mother's room. She laid there, face vulnerable and worn. Narcissa was asleep, and the small lacerations on her face and arms made her look so small. The blond lifted a hand to fix his mother's hair, eyes clouding up.

He wished her smile could have been present then. Even for a moment. Something to help him feel reassured.

\--

One look at the bill made him think about what body parts of his would sell the highest on the black market.

The Black family refused to pay any portion, saying that this was Narcissa's fault for ruining her life with young stupidity and spreading herself too thin. Draco held his mouth shut as the family came to visit, offering him condolences or giving him wary looks. The stoic expression of his face kept them from truly seeing how devastated he was.

There were congratulations and gifts of money for him in favor of him graduating high school. Sure, his real graduation wouldn't occur for another two weeks, but the gifts of money was well appreciated. No one questioned where that money was going to go. Draco may be looking at student loans for the next year and some heavy blows to his paycheck, but his mother was more important that anything or anyone else.

Even Aunt Andy got a job to pay for the bill. 

But once they had enough, the insurance came in and paid for the rest.

It still got to the point where Draco was working at both the liquor store and photography studio while Andromeda stayed with his mother.

\--

"Now, Draco, we have an important guest joining us tonight. Make sure you're properly dressed and have the right equipment."

It wasn't odd for them to have important guests who want high-quality photoshoots, so Draco was trained to handle divas and primadonnas.

With a customary employee suit and hair lightly slicked back, the teen got their best cameras and settings prepared. The only question would be if the important guest wanted the shoot to take place outside or if they would prefer a preset background. Blaise and Pansy even volunteered to help out at the photography studio, so the majority of the day was spent getting those two ready to handle whomever it was that came in.

"But if they give me attitude, I'm gonna-" Pansy didn't get to finish.

"No, you aren't. You are going to treat them with more respect than they deserve."

"But, Draco-" 

"Blaise," He stopped the other boy, fixing his suit. "Treat them kindly. Make them regret any ill words or treatment."

"Ah, sneaky," Pansy complied, nodding with a sly smile.

"No, diplomatic." 

"Draco, you're such a snob."

"I mean, you're not wrong. But we have work," He guided them into the fitting room so that they could get Pansy an outfit that would fit her properly.

\--------------

"Now, Harry, I know it's hard to keep an attitude under wraps, but we do want to leave a good impression on this place," The agent said, looking at his phone.

Harry groaned, feet stomping a bit. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries and being nice. These people were being paid to take pictures of him and sell them out to the public and press as well as give copies back for the label to use.  There wasn't any point being nice to any of the photographers anymore, considering they took terrible photos in a shutter or burst form. The dark haired boy hated that. It made for terrible candid shots.

"There's no point. Any photos they advertise probably aren't really theirs, and they won't do half as well as that."

"Harry-"

"I mean it, almost everything they do will be lies, and then we'll be stuck going to another place hours away just to get conception pictures for the album. Can't just leave it blank or add some sort of logo to it."

"Mr. Potter-"

"No, I'm not done-"

"Mr. Potter, if you could stop monologuing for a moment and get yourself together, please. We're here."

"Vince Photography?" 

It looked like a homely little building, photos shown in the windows looking perfect and a lot better than Harry would ever give them credit for.

"Now, you will be with their best worker. An apprentice photographer," The man informed Harry as they entered the building, waiting in the lobby for the owner to meet with them. 

Thankfully, the press hadn't followed them. They'd already gotten pictures of Harry doing mundane tasks like taking out the trash or walking Fred's dog. If they got pictures of all the places Harry had to go to get his damn picture professionally taken, they'd step in and help by doing it themselves. Actually, Harry wouldn't mind that, so he looked outside for a good while.

"Ah, Mr. Potter!"

A man with a thick accent came forward, hands outstretched and commanding attention. Behind him were three people, all of which were around his age. Whatever the man was saying was lost on him and left to his agent as he studied the boy who was too busy with his phone to even look back at him. Even when he put it away, the boy wouldn't look up or at anyone specifically.

"This is Mr. Malfoy, and he will be in charge of your photos today. At his side are Pansy and Blaise, our newest apprentices. They will be at your beck and call during your shoot."

The boy, supposedly Malfoy, didn't meet his eyes, still. He shook Harry's hand, eyes on the young rapper's arms. The same was with his agent. Malfoy was too formal for Harry, and it left the boy in a grumpy mood.

"Let's get this over with."


	3. First Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His friend nodded, lips being drawn in for an impressed look to absorb his face. Soon, he sat down and pulled up one of the photos with a focus on Harry's eyes. "I think this one is probably the best."
> 
> "Why's that?"
> 
> "Because," Ron sounded odd, "You look like your mum in this picture. Your eyes are identical, and you can see every detail of your skin, which is a good thing because I didn't even know you have a little bit of freckles. Hair- Your hair looks like it was professionally done and even colored over. You can see a little bit of stubble on your chin, too, and in your eyes, you don't even see the camera. Instead, you have the flash that lines around your pupils and look phenomenal."
> 
> "Really?"
> 
> "Damn, lemme see," Fred overheard, reaching his hand out for the phone.
> 
> "Holy shit, Harry."

"Would you like the shoot to take place outside or inside?"

"Indoors. Why would I want to go outside? It's too hot out, and the press would probably catch better photos than you."

"Alright," Draco nodded, opening the door for Harry to step into their large studio. "What we can start off with are some black and whites with your current outfit. We have a closet full of other outfits your publisher wishes for you to wear. Do take care while wearing them, and you get to choose what background you put them to."

Harry stopped walking, staring at Draco's back as the teen approached the preset tripod. Only then did the boy turn to look at Harry, a wide innocent look painted on his face.

\--

A trained visage, as Draco called it.

Reason for it was that divas hated it when you looked annoyed or over cheerful. If you appear indifferent, they are put off as well. So Draco has found it best to treat everything casually with a curious expression. It made people feel as though they were leading the appointment and that Draco was a beginner with immense luck. A bit manipulative, but it seemed to calm Potter down a bit.

Stuck up prat, from what he's seen. 

Regardless, the blond would be making bank off of this one. An up-and-coming celebrity here to get his picture professionally taken? For a second album release of all things? For every picture they use, Draco was going to making anywhere from sixty to a hundred dollars. That's at least a couple classes he can take at the community college this up coming year.

Yeah, Draco wasn't exactly proud of having to go to community rather than university. 

They just didn't have enough money. He had the grades to get amazing scholarships, but students loans, parking permits, books, out of pocket expenses.. They were all too much. He couldn't afford them. Not with hospital bills and co-pays and rent. So he informed every college that: no, he will not be attending in the fall. At this point, he didn't know if he could even afford community college. All he knew was that it's either community or a gap year.

\--

This boy was ugly.

That's, at least, what Harry thought at first.

His hair was lightly slicked back, but it was still somehow messy. The bags under his eyes were unattractive, and the just barely there tan made him look unnatural. Not only that, but he was so slight. This kid was supposed to be his age, but he was so short and looked frail. 

If the twins were here, they'd probably call him a twink.

With a scoff, Harry whipped off his leather jacket, holding it over his shoulder with two fingers.

Sitting himself down on the plain white couch, the dark haired beauty moved to hold his jacket across his lap. His elbows rested on his knees, hands at his mouth idly. It was a pose he hadn't realized, considering he thought he was waiting for the other two to join them. Once Blaise and Pansy came into the room, carrying a fruit tray and a tray for water, he turned to face the camera. 

Malfoy had been staring at him, but his gaze easily slid to the trays they'd just brought in. He walked over to the two, mumbling something. Suddenly, they were moving and in gear.

The water tray, an expensive vase and glass filled with clear, beautiful liquid was placed on a table nearby the couch. Once Blaise backed away, things just seemed to fall into place. Draco had told him just to react and sit the way he usually would. If needed, he'd instruct, but otherwise, Harry could choose his pose or position. So they did.

\--

At the end of the session, Draco had photos of Harry that the agent had gone bezerk over. Candid shots of him adjusting or even Draco's favorite of him walking with that leather jacket held behind his shoulder. His dark hair looked mildly curly in that one, and the shadows were perfect to defining his body properly. A mild filter was added to subdue the color, so the image looked a little faded.

Or that photo of him waiting. The focus in his eyes, drama in his face. The idle quirks of him resting his lips against his thumbs.

The picture through the glass of water, silhouetting him with refracting thanks to the liquid inside.

They did actually attempt some outside ones, such as Harry staring up at the sun in a trendy outfit with a hand absentmindedly going through his hair. Once again, a candid shot. The boy was actually looking around and happened to see a bird or something that he found cool.

Every shot had a slight dramatic flare to it and mild editing, making it look a bit stereotypical and a lot more casual than other photos actually are. Some shots of Harry looking at the camera were candid, too, which Draco didn't understand until after they were done.

It was around midnight, and Draco was designing a portfolio out of a folder in his Google Docs. At the moment, he was picking out the best photos he'd gotten. It seemed that, after a while of posing and adjusting, Harry had his eyes set on Draco. Not even the camera unless Draco ducked down to put his face up to it. But there were a lot of moments during the shoot where Harry and Draco had awkwardly looked at one another.

Like when Draco had to do some from right at Harry's side or by his leg with Harry looking to the distance. Draco was lucky that he hadn't accidentally touched his leg or fell off balance at all. People like Harry don't really treat those things kindly.

People like Harry... They don't really treat Draco kindly, now that he thought about it.

But he shrugged as he closed his laptop, people didn't have to like him. He didn't care. The agent took over twelve photos with them going at seventy each. Eight hundred and forty dollars, Draco smiled as he laid down. 

His mother and aunt got warm baths for a month as well as three bath bombs from that money.

Thank God for Harry Potter, Draco huffed as he laid down for bed.

He fell asleep with the image of intense green eyes in his head.

\-----------

"We're going to have to go back there. They took incredible photos of you. Press are eating these up, you're being printed onto posters and placed on girls' bedroom walls," His agent gushed for, maybe, the fourth time that day.

The rapper shrugged, gesturing to see the pictures. Though, the moment his eyes hit the photos, they widened. Most of these weren't even of him posing. Faint smiles or serious expressions were just natural. Not lying, Harry thought he looked hot in these photos. "Send these to me."

\--

"Holy shit, Harry."

"What's this place called?"

"Vince Photography," Harry grinned, watching as the twins hurried to look it up on their phones. Ron stayed at his side, looking through the photos with him. "This little place in Valencia. Looked pretty ugly on the outside, but they have a huge studio and pretty alright courtyard. That's where the ones with me outside were shot."

His friend nodded, lips being drawn in for an impressed look to absorb his face. Soon, he sat down and pulled up one of the photos with a focus on Harry's eyes. "I think this one is probably the best."

"Why's that?"

"Because," Ron sounded odd, "You look like your mum in this picture. Your eyes are identical, and you can see every detail of your skin, which is a good thing because I didn't even know you have a little bit of freckles. Hair- Your hair looks like it was professionally done and even colored over. You can see a little bit of stubble on your chin, too, and in your eyes, you don't even see the camera. Instead, you have the flash that lines around your pupils and look phenomenal."

"Really?"

"Damn, lemme see," Fred overheard, reaching his hand out for the phone.

"Holy shit, Harry."

"George, come on. How many times are you gonna say that?"

The boys shared a laugh, and George shrugged, "I just mean that you look sexy, man. Like, register for Tinder and put some of these pics on. You'll get calls saying you're the sexiest man alive."

"Hm," Harry pretended to think about it, a sly grin settling across his lips. "Perhaps, I might."

"Oh, shut up."

\-----------

Things were crazy around the shop now.

Once those pictures had gone viral and the location was given out, Draco was given diva after diva. All of which complimented him and seemed to act over dramatic for the first twenty minutes before they fell into his flow. Sure, the blond wasn't passionate at taking pictures, but he knew he took proper ones. Good ones.

His portfolio was now full of his friends and celebrities. He could apply them for an art school and be able to afford it now.

He even got an old, rusty car for himself. Naturally, he didn't want to buy something shiny or expensive, because he wanted to own his car and keep it from being stolen. After a couple weeks of these photos, Draco was even able to get himself, his mother, and his aunt health insurance. Next on the list was auto insurance. Maybe even finding a new house if things continue on this well.

"Thank you, Draco."

He heard that way too much now, and it was starting to be overwhelming. Or was that just all the working? Snape had him running liquor all over the town to nearby bars who've placed orders, and their stock had increased by two times, so Draco had his work cut out for him. Things had been going well at the liquor store, so that gave Draco enough of a boost to start a savings and checking account. To which, his mother and aunt had full reign. 

All of this was great. Draco was bringing home over a thousand a week, and life was getting better for his family. He got to spend time with Pansy and Blaise at work all the time, coaching and assisting them just as much as they assisted him, even if he didn't have to. He even spent time texting Neville through the other boy's transition to college. Texting hardly happened between any of them before, but since Draco didn't have the time to lounge about and hang out now, that was all they had left.

But things were becoming too crazy.

After September hit and everything slowed down, it was better. Celebrities were off at work and no longer needed their pictures taken, the seniors were easy to get done, and Vince gave the kids some vacation time. Two weeks.

By now, Draco had auto insurance on both his and his mother's cars, so driving was more comfortable. His mother was also working again now that she was back to a healthy condition, making rent easier than ever. Aunt Andromeda even picked up a job at the local daycare.

The boy could cry, knowing he worked so hard and it was finally paying off.

His mother was smiling at him, again.

\--

The drawback of working so hard and being busy was that he didn't have time to update his Youtube.

People were actually kind of upset about that.

He'd actually gone from twenty people to little over a hundred people in the last three months. That was awesome.

By October 12th, he had a hundred and fifty followers and almost thirty videos. With this lull in work, he was able to update more. Little lullabies his mother used to sing that he shared with the public, covers of Disney hits and Broadway tunes, and one original song. Things became easier, and by December, he was at five hundred followers.

With the holiday boosts from both workplaces, Draco was actually able to buy himself and his family new clothes. They could renovate their house if they wanted to, so they just held onto that money for a later day. If they wanted to spend the $12,000 on renovations or if they wanted to move. Though, he couldn't imagine living anywhere but the house he'd spent his first eighteen years of life.

With his vacation time over the week and week after New Years', Draco spent his time resting and hanging out with friends and family.

\---------------

Harry Potter had been busy.

Not in the best way.

In the last seven months, his name had been all over the news.

What with all the parties he was going to, or how many times he was at the club. So many girls in how many months. No serious relationships, not with him. He even fiddled around with some men. He didn't care anymore. Alcohol because a part of his everyday life, brought by his agent, and his music hit a cliche sound. So far, he had two albums and was working on his third. That didn't mean he was serious about it, though. He was bored and had more interest in getting into trouble. Harry Potter was becoming the public's bad boy.

He was in the magazines more than he could count.

For clubbing, for his fallout with his dad, his relationship with Ginny Weasley, for a fist fight in a bar between him and Ron, for him having to move out and find his own place. Sure, he and Ron had patched things up, same for the twins. They just agreed that maybe it was best they didn't live together anymore. They all stayed close friends, though. With persuasion from his mother, Moony, and Padfoot, Harry came home for the holidays.

That led to a big talk between him and Harry.

"Is this our fault? All this acting out-? Harry, what has gotten into you?"

"Dad, I'm finally free to do anything at anytime without having to ask permission or let anyone know where I'm at. It's awesome, and I just.. I'm not sure. I just.. I get sucked in by it all, and I just.."

He's never seen his father look more tired. Let alone, that faint grin that pulled across the man's lips at the sound of his excuses.

"I see," He mumbled, soft.

"Dad, I.. I'm sorry," Cotton felt like it was filling Harry's throat as he watched his father.

James shook his head, "I forgive you-"

"No," Harry yelped. "I'm sorry for all of this. For acting out, for telling you to fuck off, for all of it. For.. For calling you and mum those names, for saying that I hate you. I'm so sorry."

"Then it means you've learned your lesson," A voice flowed in from the doorway, and Sirius stood there, smiling grimly.

There was a tender hug that night, bringing that emptiness in Harry's chest together in sutures.

\---------------

February 14th, 2017.

Draco smiled around his toothbrush as he took a picture of Blaise and Pansy cuddling in the living room.

The two had pink fairy lights hangin above them, a warm white blanket over their lower halves. Pansy had an adorable beige sweater, hanging off her shoulder innocently, and her hair was loosely curled across her shoulders and down her back. She'd 'fallen asleep' with makeup on, a piece of chocolate still held in her hand. Blaise had his arm slung across her shoulders, one hand laced in her hair. His other arm rested on the side of the loveseat they sat upon. The dim light of the lamp at Pansy's side table and the male looking down at her lovingly made them look like a scene straight out of a movie.

"Great, guys," Draco said, voice muffled as he uploaded it onto his Instagram, "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Pansy chimed as she opened her eyes and bit into her chocolate.

Neville, sitting on the other couch, laughed and shook his head at Draco's retreating form.

Said blond was headed back to the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth. Life was good at this point, he mused as he looked into the mirror. He had an apartment that he shared with Blaise and Pansy, since he couldn't handle living alone. His mother and aunt had encouraged him to move out, be his own person. He was turning nineteen soon, so he'd need to move on with his life. But Draco still stayed the night at home every once in a while, giving Blaise and Pansy the night to themselves, now that they were finally a couple.

Tonight, they were planning to go to dinner and maybe go see a movie. They'd spent the morning making cookies and sleeping in. Or, in Blaise's case, sleeping in until cookie crumbles were being thrown at his face. Since Neville didn't have a spring semester (going to a school with only fall and winter*. *Spring is available for those who need to make up credits), he was staying with them. It was actually a lot more fun than they thought it would be.

At first, Draco was wary to stay with all of his friends, thinking all the time they'd spend together would drive them apart.

It really didn't. It just introduced them to sides of each other that no one knew before. Like, Pansy enjoyed cooking and baking. Blaise had an extensive knowledge of movie and TV shows. Neville enjoyed cleaning, but all of them had individual chores. Neville also enjoyed botany a lot, bringing almost four plants into the apartment. Once again, Draco was wary at first, but it turned out pretty great. The plants made the house smell fresh without reeking of chemicals.

Then again, the others hadn't really seen anything new with Draco- yet. The boy hadn't updated his Youtube at all in the two months they'd been living together. He was afraid, honestly, he'd never sang seriously in front of them before. There wasn't a reason for it, but he was scared they'd think he had a terrible voice or would be annoyed.

\--

By April, Draco said: fuck it.

Neville was working the night at a florist's, and the lovely couple was out for a romantic dinner night. It was also Draco's only night off that week, so he uploaded three videos and a livestream over the course of four hours. No personal information was given past "Things have been a bit hectic recently, but they've calmed down enough for me to hang out with you guys tonight".

By now, he was into the thousands with followers, enough that he did a long segment during the livestream thanking them for all their love and support.

\--

What he wasn't expecting was a phone call the next weekend.

Draco was at work, taking some photos of a newborn. They'd just walked out the door to end their session, and Draco downloaded the photos onto his USB drive, handing that off to one of the interns to send out. Then his phone rang, and he stepped outside.

"Is this MalfMusic, by any chance?"

"Ah- Yes. Yes, sir."

"Good. I've been taking a look at your videos, and I'd like to meet with you."

"M-May I ask who this is?"

"Oh, I'm Garrick Olivander. I represent Magic Records, Inc."

A moment of silence, Draco was dazed, hand on his abdomen. He felt as though he was going to throw up.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh- yes, sir!"

"Good. Now, I'm in the Los Angeles area, is that an issue for you?"  
"Uh.. No, sir."

"Good. Our address..." After all the information was given, Draco finally gave in. He went back into work, going to the back room where Blaise and Pansy sat on their breaks. Only Pansy was there at the moment, so Draco told her all of it. In two weeks, he'd be going to Los Angeles (able to bring whomever he wanted) and spending the weekend there. Hotel, gas, and meals would be provided by the record label. They really wanted to make an impression on him, giving him all that he could need or want and offering him comfort in case he was anxious. She, of course, was upset that he hadn't told her back in high school, but she was beyond excited either way. As soon as Blaise got to his break, they told him as well. Even called Neville, Pansy squealing into the receiver. 

\--

What he hadn't expected was them joining him for some videos. 

Now that they knew, they encouraged him to do more. They all had followed him on Youtube, too, liking almost all of his videos. By the first of May, Draco could swear that his cheeks would be permanently red in embarrassment. 

Once Neville looked at a good portion of the videos, he offered to do a video with him. With some persuasion, Draco agreed, and it actually turned out brilliant.

The boys did 'Dear Theodosia' with Draco as Burr and Neville as Hamilton.

Three days later, they switched roles for 'The World Was Wide Enough', because Draco as Hamilton made Pansy tear up.

Blaise made his presence in three livestreams, and Pansy joined for two of them. 

She even did a song with Draco, 'Edelweiss'. His dark-haired roommate wasn't the most confident singer, but she was more than comfortable with the song choice, shining brighter than him. He watched her with a proud grin.

Of course, he uploaded another few covers and an original. Just in the course of his two-week wait.

\--

One week and two days later, Draco was packing, watching Neville do the same thing across the room.

"You okay, man?"

The question was simple, really. But it was all starting to gain on him. All the videos, having to explain to everyone this secret habit of his to sing and upload videos. His mother and aunt laughing at him and saying they knew for a long time, hearing Snape tell him that he knew it was him from the getgo, hearing that Snape was the first person to ever follow him at all because he'd seen Draco fiddling on his phone and looked over his shoulder. Calling off work for the weekend was fine, considering he always worked overtime and his vacation days had added up. His tax return was also being taken with him to buy souvenirs.

But it was all so much.

Setting a hand on his bag, Draco shrugged, "I don't know, man. I mean.. I'm ready, but I'm also not. This just doesn't feel real. None of it does."

"Well, you've worked for it. Your looks show it."

"What?"

"Dude, you barely sleep. You barely eat. It's like you're a vampire. Been that way since- What, junior year? You're so ambitious that personal care seems to disappear from your mind aside from bathing," Blaise joined in as he came in to give the boys respective drinks from the Starbucks excursion.

"Really?"

Worry swelled in Draco's chest.

"Don't worry. It's your look, wear it. You're beautiful, baby," Pansy assured him, coming in behind Blaise to take Draco's drink and hand it to the boy.

"Tell you what," Blaise started. "How about, after packing, we all shower individually, eat some pizza, and go to bed early? We have an early drive tomorrow anyhow."

"That.. That sounds good."

"No livestream?" Neville sounded so let down. 

Before Draco could console that request, Blaise shook his head, "No. We'd be on there for four hours again.

So they had an early night, and Draco felt refreshed the next day.

\--

They drove in, shops passing and life seeming to buzz.

Draco's hands had been shaking so badly, so Pansy drove. Neville was in the passenger seat, running the aux cord. Next to Draco in the back was Blaise, who was falling asleep on his friend's shoulder. Old habits die hard, the blond supposed.

Soon, Pansy found the hotel that they'd agreed to meet at, and a man stood outside it, holding a sign that read; "DRACO AND COMPANY".

"Welcome to Los Angeles," was the first thing out of the man's mouth when the kids got out.

The valet took their car to VIP parking, the bellhop got their bags with immense care, and the four were brought into the hotel.

Pansy took Draco's hand, knowing the boy was freaking out over how sudden this all was.

Welcome to Los Angeles, it played back in his mind, showing him flashes of the past year as he wondered how he got here.


	4. The Weekend Is Here.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh, stop," An angry sound came to Olivander's voice. "Harry, you don't need to be fraternizing with any of our new Talents. They need to feel comfortable, and he is.. He is a delicate case."
> 
> "Is he an angry sort of person?"
> 
> "Scary?"
> 
> "Dramatic?"
> 
> "A crier?"
> 
> The twins came up on either side of their boss, raising their eyebrows in interest.

Album three was coming out soon, and they were starting to run out of photos.

Four photos for each album, but they were sadly informed that Mr. Malfoy who had taken the pictures would be on vacation for the next week.

Harry huffed, finding it stupid that people needed vacations. Working for a photography place wasn't even that hard. He had an easy job, so why did he need to take so much time off? What the hell?

"Your shoot will be postponed for another week. But that's fine. We'll still have time before the album release to add them to the CD, album, and websites."

"Okay," He grumbled. As long as everything worked out, he supposed it was whatever. 

"Make sure you thank that boy for taking your picture," His mother's voice echoed in his head from the last time he had called her. She was right, after all. Malfoy was good at his job, and both Ron and Hermione even visited the place. They hadn't gotten theirs by him but by the other two apprentices. The shots had a beautiful quality, but they weren't at any original angles or candid holds like Malfoy had done. The boy had talent, that was for sure.

It had Harry smiling without truly thinking about it.

"It's fine, because this weekend, you'll be busy," His agent caught his attention easily with that.

The dark haired male gaped, "But I was going to visit my parents this weekend."

"I already called them, and they were fine with it," There was a pause. "Well, one of them cried, but I can't remember which one."

"Sirius. I was going to bring him cake."

An incredulous was sent his way, but he waved it off with ease. "That doesn't matter. What's going on this weekend?"

"There are some possible talents coming in."

A loud groan erupted from Harry's throat, and he stomped his feet indignantly.

\------------

"This. Is. Awesome," Pansy squealed for the third time now.

Blaise was sound asleep in the hotel bed, even though it was noon. That boy could sleep through the damn apocalypse if he wanted to. Draco rolled his eyes, looking down at the itinerary he'd been left with by the representative of the record label. Taking a deep breath, he was preparing himself for everything on the list.

 

' **Welcome to your personal tour as a future Talent of Magic Records, Inc.**

 

**First, you will have met your representative at the hotel. They will be there for you to contact all weekend at (213)-586-4949.**

**Make sure you put your bags away and wear something nice, we will be going out to lunch.**

**The place will be chosen on the way, and your representative will retrieve you from your room at approximately 2pm.**

**The rest of the night is yours after lunch and the meeting. Anywhere you go and whatever you order or get will be paid for by the studio.**

**Do not be afraid to have fun.**

 

**Tomorrow, you and your company will be picked up to come visit the recording studio.**

**Our current Talents will demonstrate their abilities and how our studio benefits them.**

**Afterwards, you will have a meet and greet with them, feel free to ask any questions you wish!**

**Our most popular Talent will take you out on the town that night, allowing you to see the city and know where the best places to have fun are.**

**Your guests can come with you or go back to the hotel at any time they wish, don't hesitate to ask.**

 

**Sunday, we will have one last meeting, to discuss your contract and occupation under Magic Records, Inc.**

**We recommend you bring any songs or songbooks that are your own.**

**We highly encourage original songs and pieces here, so it'd be great to see all of what you offer.**

**We reserve the right to ask you to sing a piece or two and get to know what you're comfortable with doing.**

**Afterwards, you can either stay in the hotel or you could have a night out. Enjoy yourselves!**

 

**Any questions, do not fear asking.**

**I look forward to meeting you,**

**Garrick Olivander.** '

\--

"MalfMusic?"

"Draco Malfoy," He corrected, nearly cringing at the sound of his username out loud. Some things were just meant to be read online and not said out loud. Nonetheless, the boy was guided to a surprising Jeep that was parked outside the hotel. Blinking, Draco moved slowly towards.

In front of the Jeep was a kind looking man who had the hair of Albert Einstein. His face lit up as he saw Draco, reaching out to shake the boy's hand- and not even intending on it, shook the boy's whole form. "Good day, my boy! I hope the ride out here didn't frighten you any. Where'd you come in from?"

A beat, Draco didn't know what to say, and Olivander seemed to be searching Draco's face. "Michigan?"

"No. No, sir."

"Well, where then?"

"Valencia. It's, ah.. Not too far from here, really."

"That's about an hour away, my child," The older man laughed.

Draco didn't argue, getting into the Jeep when gestured to. He straightened out his button-up, making sure every button was done- except for the top one, because never do that unless you're wearing a tie. Has he ever worn a tie? Draco couldn't remember, trying his best not to throw up or embarrass himself in any way. Thankfully, Olivander spoke throughout most of the car ride. He just pegged Draco for a quiet kid, and he didn't mind filling the space as they drove through the streets.

The nineteen year old couldn't remember where they even went to eat. He'd gotten himself a burger with some fries. Classic, no one could judge him. Not that he was even all that hungry. He managed to power through the conversation, though, listening and occasionally giving his opinion or agreeing with something that was said.

Generally, Olivander seemed to like him, so that was good.

Malfoy hardly remembered walking back into the hotel. Sure, he felt better now that it was taken care of and over, but he still had two more days of this. It was so surreal that he was, as Pansy kindly put it yesterday, tripping. To the point that he passed out as soon as he got back to the room. No need for talking, he was too tired. He just curled up next to Blaise, who was on his phone, and fell asleep.

-

It was a night in that they went with for Friday night.

When Draco woke up, they were just starting to get ready to go downstairs for dinner. They wanted to wait for their friend, though, which made the boy happier than anything. He would have seriously tripped out if he woke up and they were just up and gone.

"C'mon. Up and at 'em," Blaise nudged him just minutes before lifting his smaller friend across his shoulders. Draco held on tight, starting to laugh and tell Blaise to put him down. Instead, the boy did two squats and a twirl. 

"Ah, Blaise! Put me down," The boy whined, dizzy and elated. Next thing he knew, he was falling onto the bed. With another laugh, Draco smacked his friend with a pillow. "You suck."

"Only for steak," Blaise nodded before pretending to look off into the distance. He pulled the most 'in love' look he could manage, "Steak."

"Alright, let's go get some food before Blaise leaves me for steak," Pansy scoffed, grinning as they headed out of the room. Neville waved the key in the air behind her to show that he had one on him for them to get back in.

-

After dinner, they came back to the room for an episode of The Walking Dead that just happened to be on TV. Draco wasn't too interested, so he was, instead, playing on his phone. Yes, he had become the kind of person he used to hate. The amount of followers on Youtube was frankly starting to scare him. 

"Oh, my God."

His voice was so loud and, at such a quiet moment, he covered his mouth, still looking at his phone. Slowly, he looked up at Pansy.

"What? What happened?"

Neville leaned over, smiling widely and nudging Draco's shoulder a bit. "Ten thousand subscribers."

"And over a million views on three of your original songs," Blaise mumbled, too caught up in the TV to fully disconnect.

"What?" Draco's squeak was muffled by his hand, and he dropped his phone. "Holy shit."

"Oh, my God. That's great!" Pansy came over to his other side to give him a huge hug, holding him tight to her chest.

"We need to make a video," Neville said, serious.

"Stream," Blaise offered instead, looking over his shoulder at them. With a shrug, he lifted a brow.

Draco couldn't do anything more than nod.

\--

"Thank you.. So.. So much. I can't believe this."

"Well, you've said that five times, now. Time to believe it. You got this, Drac."

"Alright, well we need to get to bed-"

"What are you talking about, Neville? It's like, midnight."

"Pansy," Neville took a breath. "It's four."

"Oh."

Blaise laughed, "Well, Draco Malfoy Protection Squad 2K17, out."

"Bye, guys," Draco smiled, ending the stream and immediately uploading it to Youtube. With how long they'd been on, he could only keep the good bits on there, which still came to around two hours of livestream.

For a moment, he sat and breathed. This was a lot to take in, really.

"But, actually, guys. We need to go to bed. Draco, you're being picked up at noon tomorrow."

"We," He corrected, putting his laptop away.

"What," There was unison between Pansy and Blaise.

All Draco did was hand them the itinerary to look at, shrugging, "They said that we're all going."

"Cool," Neville nodded.

"Well, then let's get to bed. Blaise, I assume you'll be chugging coffee like its 2016 tomorrow, and I have makeup to do," Pansy began to ramble, moving to change into her silky pajama pants and loose shirt.

The boys changed into their pajamas as well, and, not long later, lights were off and alarms were set on phones. Neville and Blaise shared a bed, Draco and Pansy in the other. After a while of waiting, awake, Draco squeezed his eyes shut. Everyone else seemed to find it easy to fall asleep, but how could he? He had the introduction to his future, his dream, tomorrow.

"Hey," A calming voice came from his side, and he looked over so fast; he feared for whiplash. Pansy was looking up at him with big, reassuring eyes that were slightly blurry to Draco. "You got this, honey. Don't worry. You have what they're looking for, you're a hard worker and well prepared, and, Draco."

"Yeah?"

"You are an ambitious son of a bastard. Even if you make all the mistakes in the world tomorrow, they need you and this is your future. No matter what, you'll find a way to get to where you're meant to be. Okay?"

He managed a nod, lying more comfortably on the mattress. The two fell asleep facing each other, a tear slowly finishing it's started descent down his cheek.

\--

Day one was over, but the weekend was only beginning.

\--

The next day, Draco woke up first, and he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. Pansy's words rang back through his head, and he nodded. He had this. Today, all he had to do is sit and listen to the studio and artists, ask them questions if he wanted- which he'd rather leave up to Pansy and Neville. Blaise may ask a few questions, but he'd be more interested in one-on-one conversations and hanging. That's why he offered to be the one to talk to whatever "Talent" of the studio's takes them out on the town.

If they were going out on the town, though, the grey eyed boy wanted to look good. Running a nervous hand through his hair, he nodded once more and locked the door in favor of taking a shower. 

Day two, here we go.

\---------------

"Think of the first time you stepped into the studio. Nice, warm atmosphere- Maybe, a candle on? A tray of biscuits waiting for you on the main counter, comfortable seating while you wait. Now, remember, we are not to let him wait too long. Just enough to put him on edge," Garrick narrated, wandering around to make sure everything was in place.

All the artists were working on themselves and choosing what songs they were going to do.

Harry was in the middle of roughing up his hair, knowing that the messy look made new female singers go mad. His dad used to do it back in the nineties, but it still worked now. With a huff, he smirked and went on to place his contacts in. His glasses looked alright on him, but he figured he looked better without. They had him use contacts for all his concerts, photoshoots, and videos. If he was honest, it was his hope that their newest joining artist was a girl.

Holy shit, He met his eyes in the mirror. If it was a girl, they could be the next Rihanna and Eminem.

"Imagine that," The dark haired boy mumbled, but it seemed to only make the twins laugh.

"You realize that Garrick said it's a guy, right?"

"Unless," George trailed off, raising his brows.

"Oh, stop," An angry sound came to Olivander's voice. "Harry, you don't need to be fraternizing with any of our new Talents. They need to feel comfortable, and he is.. He is a delicate case."

"Is he an angry sort of person?"

"Scary?"

"Dramatic?"

"A crier?"

The twins came up on either side of their boss, raising their eyebrows in interest. 

Ron and Ginny were trying to conceal their smiles as they looked at each other. And what Harry hadn't noticed during his preening and listening to the conversation was that most of the others had left to do preparations. Other than half of the Weasley kids, there was only Harry and Hermione.

"What is he like? I mean," The brunette started softly, obviously lost in thought. "If we want him to be comfortable, we'll need to know how he acts and what not to do."

That thought had them settling down. A new artist meant more money for all of them, which meant better conditions than the great ones they already have. It was rare that they got kids good enough to introduce to the company; they shouldn't scare him off.

Harry sighed again, selling the teen angst well as he leaned against the wall. A sharp look from his agent reminded him to stop being an ass, which he greeted with a roll of his eyes. Why did it take so long for the man to talk? Olivander had a flair for suspense, though. 

"He is a delicate case in the fact that he isn't very personable. This one is a quiet kid," He looked at the candy tray that Fleur brought out. Orange M&M's to match the decor of the lobby. The man nodded in approval before getting back to business. "He is a talented singer, but he is rather shy. When we met, he looked frightened and a bit frail. I don't want anyone scaring him, so you won't be having a huge introduction to him until the panel. And his friends will be there to insure that he is in comfort."

"Which one of us is showing them around tonight?"

"Good question, Ginny, my dear," Garrick smiled. "We will have them choose, so in the time that it takes them to get here, why don't you all go to your places and think of places around the city you enjoy going to that they may enjoy. If they choose you, they choose you. Be ready, Be kind, Be exciting. Go."

And so, they were dismissed.

\--

Harry stood in his personal booth, headphones around his neck as he helped himself to water. 

This wasn't too practiced by him, considering he was the one of the newer Talents adopted by Olivander. He'd come in at the same time as Fleur, so neither of them knew what exactly to prepare. Then again, she was just doing dance demos with Bill as though it was any other day.

As for himself, Harry had a few songs that he could show them. Something the kid could just sit back and listen to.

Nothing too big, right?

Pull out some Alphabet Aerobics, maybe an acoustic cover to show that he was more than just rap? Then finish off with an original from his second album, since that one did the best and was well known.

It would be easy.

It should be easy.

Why was he so nervous?

\-----------

Once again, Draco was holding Pansy's hand.

He was surprised that she hadn't told him to stop, considering he knew his grip had gone tight and that his hands were clammy. 

She smiled at him gently, and, every once in a while, Draco would feel a hand fixing the ends of his shirt.

It was Blaise, fixing his outfit to make sure that his friend looked the way he'd left the hotel looking. When their gazes met, his dark haired pal grinned and rose his eyebrows with a nod, "You look good, mate. Don't worry so much."

"Let's do this," Neville offered more than stated, and he was looking out the window as they pulled up to a large building.

Soon enough, they were all struggling to get a full view of the place through the shuttle windows.

"Holy shit, Draco."

"Quite," The boy nodded, throat running dry.

"Mr. Malfoy," The driver called their attention to the front of the bus as he opened their door. "We're here."

He was the last one out, the tips of his fingers itching with excitement.

-

The walk in was okay.

Olivander stood next to the main counter, a laptop seated on the other side. The older man smiled warmly at him, coming forward to shake Draco's hand first. There were brief introductions, just to get a feel for everyone's name. Garrick even kissed Pansy's hand, noting the recognizable quality of her voice. These were the people in his videos and livestreams, meaning they were his confidants. It meant even more to make a good impression on them.

"Now, just as a general guiding, do you guys enjoy any sort of performance in particular? I mean, this is majorly a musical studio, but we also hold valuable members from Broadway and movies. There is also a dance studio."

As it was explained to him, Draco's head spun a bit.

"Maybe the actors?"

His voice sounded quieter than Pansy had ever heard. She'd seen Draco be formal, professional, dramatic, sensitive, do things with his voice that she'd never heard before, but she'd never heard him sound more like a child. She'd forgotten how shy he was, especially when he wasn't sure he could make his normal jokes or give sass and sarcasm. As they began to walk, the girl gave a quick squeeze to their hands.

"If that's where you wish to go, sir," The man nodded, starting them on their way.

As they walked, there were staff members in formal-fashionable outfits that offered them candies and water. Blaise and Pansy were having a blast with it all. Neville looked interested in the actors guild, spouting off facts as they listened to a few scenes. What had Draco truly excited about the performers was that they did a scene from Heathers, a song and all. The mixture between their acting and their quality of voices, and it was familiar to him.

After that, they visited the dance studio. Different heads of office narrated to them the kinds of dances and achievements that they offered.

From there, they saw the editing team. Here was where Draco seemed to really shine. As they walked in, the boy spotted a couple mistakes in the photos they were copying as well as the quality in one of their videos. Which is the best thing about his quiet demeanor, because he was practically invisible. While the workers in the editing department were being introduced to Pansy and the boys, Draco hit a few options to fix at least the video. That way, the blond could save the public from that mess before anyone else caught it. 

He stepped forward again just in time to be introduced.

"This is our possible new artist," Olivander gestured towards him. "This is Draco Malfoy, otherwise known as MalfMusic on youtube."

"Oh, my gosh. This is what you look like?"

"You're so handsome!"

"It's so nice to meet you. We're all fans of your videos."

"How do you mix the background music with your voice so well?"

"Uh," He cleared his throat, "Well, it's a bit of a process, actually."

"What programs do you use?"

"I use-"

"How come you don't show your face?"

Draco went quiet, looking down at the person's hands and arm.

"I believe that's enough questions," Neville intervened, sounding more confident than Draco had ever heard. "I mean, if Draco will be working here, you'll get to see him all the time. Maybe it will be easier to just learn the answers by getting to know him and seeing how he creates his media rather than asking for straightforward simplifications."

"I believe you're right," Olivander agreed, tilting his head at the boy who was now standing at the small blond's side for support. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Neville Longbottom, sir," He gave a nervous laugh as he was gestured to follow him out first, the other kids following behind slowly.

"Have a good day," Blaise nodded at the editors as he walked out with Draco, who was waving awkwardly.

-

"Man, what is up with you?"

Draco and Blaise had excused themselves to the bathroom while Neville and Pansy sat and ate lunch with the officials.

"I don't know. This all so much, and I'm kind of.. Just.. How did I end up here, you know?"

"You worked for it, Drac. You did this. Start enjoying it!"

"I.. I'm trying," The pale boy gushed, moving over to the sink to splash his face.

"No," His friend contradicted. "You're not. You are still stuck in your head, having this perpetual anxiety attack."

Blinking, he absently dried his face and looked over at Blaise.

"I want to help you, dude, but you," Large hands held onto the grey eyed boy's shoulders. "You need to start relaxing. Now, I'm not saying drink or take a joint from one of the dishwashers, but just.. Breathe. 

"Okay."

And he took a breath.

-

After a few moments of eating with them, they were on their way to the singer portion.

Now, it was Draco's time to be talked through the processes and job description. And, it seemed, that after spending a lunch portion with them, the company showed some interest in Neville and Pansy. They also made a comment about using Blaise for modeling, especially after they passed by the photo gallery.

\-------------

He was getting real sick and tired of waiting for whoever this kid was.

How long was he in the studio for? He didn't know. Already, Ron had come in and they'd watched a movie. Also, he managed to eat a good lunch and practice through all of the songs he'd be doing.

When it hit half after three, Harry was starting to get pissed off. How could someone go so slow? For him and for most of the kids here, they went through the tour in barely an hour or two. This was going on three and a half hours, if the kid got there at noon like he was supposed to. 

Easily heated over this, the twenty year old threw his jacket at the couch he had set up in the back of the studio. The mirror above it showed him a rather attractive young man. Blinking, he considered his look for a moment and determined that, hey, angry was kind of sexy on him.

His cheeks had some redness to them, and his expression was dramatic enough to draw some beauty. The sudden movement and casual sitting made his clothes wrinkle and fit him just loosely enough to make him look like your typical bad boy. Just, you know, ten times sexier than someone from the neighborhood.

The sound of a door and the lights going up in the box brought him out of his preening session.

_Finally._

Harry breathed out in gratefulness, turning around. That relief froze in his veins as he took in the  _four_ kids standing next to Olivander, Hagrid, and Harry's personal agent.

One was an attract model-looking guy. He had his arm around a girl who looked so fine, Harry would be on her in a heartbeat say he were given the chance.

They seemed to go together well enough, but there was something familiar about their faces. Where had he seen them before?

The other boy was cute, in that nerdy sort of way. He looked like he was chalk full of facts and tidbits, and it'd be great to see his prepubescent photos and compare them to how he looked now. Probably had one hell of a glow up.

Then, there was the oddball one.

He stood next to Olivander, eyes attempting to meet someone's gaze; an act. Something he'd seen before. But where?

That kid was so familiar, and it was just on the tip of his tongue.

Then. Oh, Then. They made eye contact.

Rage filtered instead of relief, just at the fact that he recognized this kid. This was the boy who took his pictures, who went on 'vacation'. You'd think that Olivander would have handed out a name, a way for Harry to recognize this little shit. Maybe, even if he didn't hear Malfoy's name. Perhaps he'd recognize the other two names, who he just barely remembered as the junior apprentice. But outside of the suit, none of them looked as big or professional, especially not the blond.

This kid was still just a mousy little fuck.

A twink, as George would call him.

If anything, he looked like he'd at least lost half a pound or so. Not too different, still frail and tired looking.

With a sigh, he stalked over to his mic.

He heard the tail end of his agent's speech.

"This is Harry Potter, and he will be your last performer of the day."

Great, have to make this count.

"You ready, Harry?"

"Been ready for the last two hours."

"Great. What's your first song gonna be?"

"Alphabet Aerobics."

"Fantastic."

And, so, it began.


	5. A Night On The Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron was staring at Harry, concerned, "What happened?"
> 
> "This kid happened," He wildly gestured at Draco, whom was already drinking away at his whiskey. "He just smiled at the damn bartender and all this was free!"
> 
> "Poor man's luck," Blaise explained with ease.
> 
> "What the fuck?"
> 
> Pansy giggled, "That's what we call it when Draco does that. He'll order something and get it for either a discount or for free. If he does get it at full price, they give him something for it. There's no way to explain it other than he's earned it."
> 
> "How has he earned it? He didn't do anything," Ron asked, leaning forward.
> 
> "None of your business," A slight raise was added to the blond's voice now, startling the majority of them.
> 
> Promptly, the conversation died.

Well, holy shit.

Draco kind of regretted not listening to Harry's music before.

This kid was talented, hitting notes and speaking in the same respect. It seemed like his second nature, a second language he had come to understand better than anyone around him. 

A look was shared between him and Neville, both boys smiling. Harry would make a great Alexander Hamilton.

"He'd be even better than you," His friend whispered to him.

Draco huffed out a laugh, "Well, I suck at rapping anyway, so you've got some low standards."

A bright, laughter stifled grin spread across Longbottom's lips, and Draco shook his head.

They got a brow raise from Pansy, signalling that they were being rude and could be construed for laughing at Harry for rapping. That shut the blond up quickly, and he sobered, watching Harry rap once more.

He was so.. into it. 

Was this what it was like to watch people perform in real life? Draco typically had no interest for concerts or watching people in general. He never saw what he looked like when he sang, so this gave him some stuff to think about.

Did his face stretch the same way?

The way that Harry's lips tightened as he articulated his words. Light, yet defined wrinkles occurred just along the singer's jawline. His brow lowered, hands rising.

One moved, showing his spirits and intonation. The other was stagnant, holding onto the microphone in front of him.

Green eyes were hidden from view since Harry kept his eyes closed whilst he sang.

It was kind of intoxicating, really. Draco found himself drawn in by the way that Harry's voice morphed into lyrics.

"Well, how was that?"

Everyone was looking at him, now. Quickly, he was nodding. Neville and Pansy began to compliment the performance. To be honest, Harry was better than any of the other singers they'd seen this afternoon. His voice held such quality to it, and raw talent seemed to radiate from him.

"So, what do you have next for them, Harry?"

\--

So, sadly, there was no panel. By the time they were done in Harry's studio, it was almost four. They'd been here for four hours already.

Not only were the kids tired and mildly brain dead from all the mind blowing information, but the performers looked absolutely exhausted as they came to stand in front of them.

Draco shifted on his feet, knowing now was the time for their official meeting. He'd be introduced to Harry Potter again. The boy in question, stoic and terrifying, was giving him an unreadable from the far left. 

"Now, these are our top performers. You've seen them in one way or another today," Olivander placed a hand at Draco's back, a glass of water poised in his hand as he made a wide gesture at the group. "With how many of them that there are, we will just give their description and let them step forward for you."

"First, we have the Weasley Kids, a band formed in the early two thousands emulating the Jackson 5. Now, more than half of the  have found their own paths in other media or they have gone on to have solo careers. From oldest to youngest, we have.."

How many Wealseys were capable of being made? Draco's head spun at trying to remember any of their names.

Ginny was easy, because he'd heard her name and music before. She had a beautiful voice. Her brother, Ron, was another one of the performers earlier, delivering an acoustic cover of 'Diary of Jane'. He seemed like a bit of a hothead, but he could be cool to hang out with.

The rest of them? No, Draco didn't know the first thing about them as they took a step back in eerie unison.

"Next is our lovely Hermione."

She made a beautiful pop singer, but her soft rock was also pretty great.

"She is a lovely star, known more for her kindness and intelligence that her talent has been used to enhance."

With a smile, She stepped back into the lineup.

"Luna Lovegood, you have not had the privilege to meet with yet, have you?"

The four shook their heads generally, looking to one another in question.

"She is our single-handed fashion genius. Known for making lovely, independent interns go famous, she'd truly ahead of her time."

"Thank you, sir," She smiled whimsically, and Draco thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. As she stepped back, she gave a calm curtsy. She took Neville's breath away as well, it seemed. The boy's cheeks were a bright pink, and his eyes were unfocused. 

"Now, we do have two rising stars from this last star. The first is Fleur," Garrick had her come closer than the others had. "She, like you, has a multitude of talents. Sure, she majorly does dance or helps with loose ends, but she could run at least three compartments as part of this company."

"Thank you, sir," She flushed, smiling sheepishly as she fell back in line. A giggle was shared between her and Luna.

"Last, but certainly not least, we have Harry Potter," The pride in the man's voice was prominent. "He may have had a bit of trouble with the media, but he's back on track towards a bright future. Harry is our best case of support through this company. In the last year, we have stuck by his side and helped him just as much as he helped out here. No matter what, he has been a diligent artist, with a creative vision we haven't seen in the last twenty years before him. He's a gem, this one."

\---------------

Harry grinned, stepping his way closer to shake Draco's hand again.

"I'm sorry," He breathed out a fake laugh. "I seem to have forgotten what your name was. I know I've seen you before."

"No, I.. I don't recall."

Blinking, the darker haired boy paused. Then he nodded, "Your name?"

"Draco," The answer was formal, a bit open ended.

"Draco Malfoy, also known as MalfMusic on Youtube. He might just be joining us here at Magic Records. As well, perhaps," Garrick took this time to look at the others that came with him, "As his friends, if they are interested. Sure, we'd need to schedule individual interviews, but it'd be our honor to have you under our wing."

It seemed as though a spell was broken. Those in line came forward, meeting with Malfoy's friends. This was their chance to give their skills, preferences, and basic resume and backgrounds. They would definitely be able to make it in the music business. Even the nerdy one. He had a charm about him that had the girls looking at him like a new puppy. As for the rat who still stood next to him..

"You're a fucking liar," Harry hissed lowly, eyeing Draco. Of which, the boy still refused to look at him.

"I'm sure I do not know what you mean."

"Malfoy," He stated, sharply. "That's how I know you."

"Stop, please," The plea would be ignored. There was no reason for this kid to lie.

"Garrick," Harry called for the man, grinning brightly and pointing at Draco. All eyes were on them, and the taller male loved it. "I figured out how I know him. Mr. Malfoy, here, was the photography at Vince's in Valencia. He's the one who took those killer shots of us. May as well introduce him to your photography sector again."

"Is this true?"

"I-I was an apprentice there, yes, and I've had many appointments with people, so I," The babbling made something catch in Harry's chest.

He'd promptly ignore that.

"Oh, look at his instagram," The dark haired girl gushed, excited. The mousy little liar didn't like that too much, taking all the time in the world to pull out his phone and get to his account.

Not going to lie, the young rapper was a bit impressed with this kid's skill. 

And with him in general.

The blond may be a lying little rat, but he obviously had enough talent to get this far. Judging by his photos, and the fact that they weren't what he was even passionate about, Harry found himself looking forward to hearing him sing or looking him up on Youtube.

\--

Regardless of whether or not he was chosen to show the new lot around, he'd be going with.

This was entertaining, knowing the blond wanted nothing to do with him. Watching him squirm under attention, Harry found himself immensely satisfied.

The others were interesting, as well.

If he'd known Blaise at a younger age, he would have flirted with him. The guy was chill and, hot damn, fit, too. Perhaps if both him and that Pansy girl didn't mind, he'd join them for a night. That thought had him licking his lips. But, for now, he treated them as friends. May as well get used to them if he'll be working with them for who knows how long. Honestly, Draco's friends would last in the company longer than him.

Even Neville, who Harry knew that Luna was starting to really get into.

They sat at a table in the lunch hall, looking over clothing designs. The two had clicked over the mention of botany being used in fashion. Their quirks just complimented each other's well, making a perfect foundation for a relationship to develop between them. Hermione even checked in on them every once in a while, shipping their natural match easily.

"So, who would you like to spend the night with? Each one of you can choose someone or all agree on one or a few," Olivander stood in front of them, polishing off his water and handing it off for his staff to take care of.

\---------------

It was like a football powwow. 

Pansy dragged Draco in from his shoulders, letting the boy come along slowly as he always did. It was good that he was calming down and getting used to this stuff. She'd been so worried for him during this trip. He had looked so ill, and he was now recovering.

"Who do you think we should pick?"

Whispers erupted with ease, and they came to an easy solution.

\--

"We'd like to go out with Ron, Fred, and George," Blaise announced, and the three gingers grinned at each other.

"And, why, if you'd like to share, did you choose them?"

"Well, it just seems like they know how to have the most fun," Pansy laughed. "That is, from what we've heard in the news."

Neville chimed in, "And, no one said that the ones we didn't pick couldn't go with us, so it'd work out either way."

Draco just nodded, not minding their choice.

Naturally, he didn't know what was going on in Harry Potter's mind.

\--------------

"So, where do you want to go first?"

George had their personal car driven over while Fred asked everyone what they wanted to do. Harry and Ron walked behind the group, observing them from behind. Which, hey, they all had pretty alright behinds. Fans would love them, even if they're new.

After a while, the two fell behind. They were last to get into the car, taking up shop in the corner in order to talk.

"What do you think of them?"

Ron stopped for a moment, thinking, "I don't know. The one kid is kind of creepy. The girl is pretty hot."

Thankfully, there was enough noise being made by the twins that the boys could talk in peace.

"Yeah, Malfoy is a little liar. I can't believe he acted like he didn't know me," Harry scoffed. "Like, who wouldn't want to own up to knowing me?"

"He seems pretty timid, Harry."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It means that he probably didn't say anything because he couldn't handle the attention. Damn ferret looked like he was going to faint when you had us all look over at him."

"Huh," He went quiet, looking over at the snowy haired child across the car.

While his friends were talking, he seemed more busy with looking out the window and taking in the sights of the city. 

This was probably the first time that Harry thought he was alright looking. Normally, this kid was ugly to him, but with the angle and lighting just right, he wasn't bad.

Sweet looking eyes that seemed to go on forever, hair that, since it wasn't slicked back, feathered down the front of his face just a little, and his general expression.

How is one so focused on everything all the time? So attentive that they lose themselves in it all?

It was just plain weird, causing Harry to scrunch up his face for a moment.

"Alright," He called the attention now that they'd driven a good distance, "What's the plan for tonight?"

\--

Once there was while of discussion, they had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to do.

They'd go to dinner first, finally get fed after hours of walking around or working. Then, they'd go for a full drive across the city.

Fred and George also had a surprise planned for later on in the night, so they said they needed to go shopping to prepare. There were specific outfits that the four needed in order to come along, and the mention made Harry laugh in recognition. Oh, he knew what the surprise was. Can't wait to see the newbies' reactions.

Between a tour and shopping, they were also going to go get some Starbucks, at the request of Pansy.

And, at the end of the night, Ron offered for all of them to stay at their house. Harry agreed in a heartbeat, excited by the thought of staying in his first away home again. This caused the guys to get a little emotional, but they didn't stay like that for long. They started joking with Neville, saying that he'd need to go get his tree pajamas that he'd mentioned to Luna earlier. 

That was probably the first bit of attitude or sass Harry had seen out of the kid as he rolled his eyes and laughed along with them.

"Oh, yes. How could I stay anywhere without those?"

Harry was impressed, sitting back and nodding.

Tonight was definitely going to be interesting.

\--

Ron should never be allowed to dress anyone, and this adventure screamed that for him.

Taking Draco and company shopping was the only hard part of the day thus far. The tour had gone well, as had Starbucks. Generally, the ginger was starting to enjoy the company of these kids. They were obviously new, wide eyed and curious. What ruined that was trying to pick out clothing for them.

The twins had come up with a lovely idea to pair up with each of the kids, and, out of anyone, Ron had gotten stuck with Draco Malfoy.

Kid didn't even know what he wanted to wear, and he barely gave feedback. The younger of the Weasleys would have a better conversation with a brick wall.

Harry had done wonderfully with Pansy, choosing an outfit anyone would like to see her in. A dark green romper with black tights. Her hair fell just past her shoulders, naturally straight and sleek. Her heart shades were being used as a headband, and the braided bracelets she'd been previously wearing just worked with her. She looked like a goddess, and somehow they'd found a way for outfits to correlate; Blaise came out looking like the exact perfect puzzle piece. He had a dark green tee, fitted to show off his body, and a pair of dark jeans. He had on a pair of aviators on his nose as well, a grin on his lips as he moved to kiss his girlfriend.

Neville looked incredible as well, standing next to Fred, discussing a variety of things. 

The brunet had a simple outfit of a button up and khakis. Yet, they looked great on him. The deep blue fabric was rolled up to his elbows, and the top two buttons were undone, showing off his body as well. Seems the nerd was pretty buff, which Ron hadn't exactly expected.

Draco was a big ball of trouble to dress, though.

Sure, he was compliant with being marched off to constantly change, but he'd been in more than six outfits by now. It was annoying, because it was a matter of knowing the kid looked terrible in all the clothes and that he wouldn't say anything while he obviously felt uncomfortable.

"Do you want some help?"

Ron looked over from where he'd been trying to fix the outfit, seeing George standing there with a confused expression. Well, it seemed this outfit wouldn't work. Fred even peeked in at them.

"What the hell did you just put him?"

The blond gave a little huff, causing Ron to look at him in betrayal. What he was met with was the boy looking away with a scowl and flushed cheeks. What had crawled in his ass and died? There was no need to get so, the redhead opened his mouth to finish his thought aloud. Then he realized.

Yeah, this kid probably wasn't trying to goad him.

He's a shy one, remember? At least, that's what Garrick had said. Draco seemed like he was too much of an asshole to be shy, though. Shy kids were supposed to be quiet and kind of stutter every once in a while. They were adorable. Malfoy was not adorable. He looked so distant and bothered, so serious. Sure, he was quiet and stumbled over his words a little, but he was more annoying than cute. 

That didn't change the fact that this boy seemed to hate attention.

"Yeah, I need help with him," Ron sighed, turning to his brothers. "Nothing I've tried works with him."

"We'll take that.."

"As a challenge," Fred finished, grinning. 

The smallest of the boys sighed heavily, hightailing it back to the fitting room. Never mind, Ron thought with a laugh. Maybe he was a little cute, with his exasperated silence and facial expressions.

-

Five outfits later, they still hadn't found an outfit for this kid.

"Why can't he just stay at the hotel while we go out?"

Oh, Harry.

"Do you really want Garrick to hear about that?"

Ron raised his brows as he asked, watching his friend's head fall back with an irritated grunt. Draco's friends were helping, but everyone was starting to get real annoyed. It wasn't the kid's fault, but it was so hard to dress him. 

After what felt like an eon, George came out, holding up his hands, "I think we found something."

Then, Draco stepped out.

Even Harry sat up, blinking in shock at the look. But.. But, something was off about Harry. Ron's brow furrowed as he watched his friend's face. There was something akin to shock and that natural instinct of Harry's to flirt, but it soon flashed to anger and then indifference. All the while, Harry's cheeks were red. What the hell?

"Well, Ron? You're his stylist. Is this good enough to go out in?"

Ah, well. The Weasley turned to observe Draco again.

The light haired boy was wearing dark clothes, which gave him an angsty look. Black skinny jeans with a loose deep gray henley. The fabric was scrunched at his elbows, giving a different affect that cancelled out the angst. Then his hair. It had been ruffled, and his eyes were wide for some reason.

"Oh," Pansy squealed, drawing everyone's attention when the three were drawn out of their conversation and saw Draco. "My baby!"

As if the pale boy could be more red. 

"I like it," Ron conceded. "I'm also done shopping. This is the only outfit that looks good on him, we're walking out in it."

"Let's go," Harry agreed, quick to stand and head over to the counter.

-

"So, where are we going?"

"Well, Neville, we are going to stop for a quick dinner and then go off to the surprise."

"But, I mean, what is the surprise?"

Blaise sighed, shaking his head, "It's probably a club." 

"Pfft, probably?"

Turning to look at Draco, he was met with a sarcastic grin. 

"Yeah, yeah. For the sake of possibly being wrong, I said probably," The taller boy shrugged.

That grin turned a little more genuine before his friend went back to staring out the window.

"You know, I think Draco's starting to like them," Pansy whispered in his ear when everyone went back to Neville's topic, telling him about the club and all the kinds of people they'd see there.

"Yeah?"

She shrugged, "He smiled just a minute ago."

"He's tired," Blaise informed. "They had him running back and forth, getting all his possible energy out. So, at this point?"

"He doesn't care what they think of how he acts."

"Exactly."

"I'd say that's him warming up to them."

"Hm," The boy thought, sparing another look at his daydreaming pal. "I suppose it is, then. Isn't it?"

\--

"Keep drinking, Neville. I wanna see your little face turn red," George yelled with a boisterous laugh.

Dinner really had been quick, just a pass at a fast food restaurant. They all ate in the limo on the ride over to one of the best clubs on Hollywood Boulevard, World Wide VIP. Harry had a high ranked membership here, while the Weasleys had beginner memberships. Then again, those boys had just recently started attending there with Harry. For the longest time, it'd been the dark haired boy going alone and getting into fights or someone's pants.

Oh, the look on Draco's face when they were brought in. He had the twins on either side of him, and they'd reeked of Axe, as per usual. The little rat's nose scrunched up, and he squinted helplessly. Harry didn't feel bad laughing at him.

Now, he didn't really notice the boy too much. They were having some serious fun. Fred, Pansy and Blaise were out in the crowd, and George had just ordered a tray of shots for the table, encouraging Longbottom to toss them back. Turns out, the boy was actually good at that. Though, he could only do five before coughing and calling it quits.

Malfoy took one in a full swig every once in a while, casual in all respects. He didn't look as much like an emo piece of shit or even like a mousy prat right now, so Harry felt a little bit suspicious. Once again, the blond wouldn't meet anyone's gaze, falling under the conversation radar.

But it also seemed like he didn't like alcohol. His mouth would draw back, the edges of his eyes scrunching again, after every shot. If he didn't like drinking, then why would he continue to take shots?

"Ey, Malfoy."

That caught his attention. The kid nearly jumped out of his skin, realizing someone was talking to him. The thought caught Harry for a moment. Maybe he acted so quiet and like an ass was because he was used to being ignored? Well, that's just about the saddest thing he'd ever heard.

Clearing his throat, Harry rose from his seat, nodding towards the bar, "Come with me to grab some?"

"Uh, sure." Was he suspicious of Harry? What the hell tone was that?

Maybe, it wasn't best to be drunk around the pipsqueak. It made it so much easier to get some mixed feelings about him.

"We'll be right back. Anyone want anything?"

"Nah."

"I'm good, thank you."

"A water," Ron corrected, looking from Neville over to Harry. "They're a year below us. We may be able to get away with all this, but they wouldn't know the first thing about it."

"You say that after this kid's been taking shots like a pro?"

"If you'd listened to the conversation, you would have known," The redhead grinned.

Not in the mood to be kept in suspense, Harry waved his hand in asking: What?

Shaking his head, Ron pointed to Neville and then at Draco, "These two have been doing shots of soda since they were kids, getting high off of the carbonation and caffeine."

"It's a bit different with alcohol," Neville mentioned, smiling in good nature.

With that, Harry turned to go get the other drinks. With an IPA on the way, the dark haired boy gestured for the other boy to order the rest.

"Can we also get a water and a bottle of Mountain Dew? And," He trailed off, squinting his eyes as he tried to read the menu through the neon lighting that caused his sight to blur. Once Draco figured out what he wanted, he smiled and looked back at the bartender, "And a Shaggy's Manhattan, please?"

That smile seemed to just elate the bartender in a way that had Harry double checking that this was the same boy he'd met this morning. What the hell?

Once the man left, Draco seemed to drop the pleasantries, staring down at the wood of the bar with an unreadable expression. Then slid it back on when the water and Mountain Dew were brought back to them.

"Thank you, sir," He said, polite and now using that cuter tone of voice.

When the other drinks were brought out, Harry reached to pay. He was given the hand and a warm grin. "On the house, for you and your lad."

"Thank you, sir," Draco repeated with a nod of his head, nudging Harry back towards the table.

"What the hell," The darker haired boy hissed when they were walking. Malfoy had the audacity to shrug.

"When you're nice to people, they tend to be more lenient with you. Even more so if you're honest with them."

"But- How," He tripped over his own tongue, shaking his head.

"You guys okay?"

Harry shook his head again as he set the drinks down at the table. Neville accepted the water, grinning as he put the Mountain Dew a this side as well. The twins were now finishing the shots off with Blaise and Pansy. 

Ron was staring at Harry, concerned, "What happened?"

"This kid happened," He wildly gestured at Draco, whom was already drinking away at his whiskey. "He just smiled at the damn bartender and all this was free!"

"Poor man's luck," Blaise explained with ease.

"What the fuck?"

Pansy giggled, "That's what we call it when Draco does that. He'll order something and get it for either a discount or for free. If he does get it at full price, they give him something for it. There's no way to explain it other than he's earned it."

"How has he earned it? He didn't do anything," Ron asked, leaning forward.

"None of your business," A slight raise was added to the blond's voice now, startling the majority of them.

Promptly, the conversation died.

\--

Two hours later, they were officially at the Weasley boys' house. They ordered a pizza and some more soda, laughing and joking around. Malfoy even started talking every once in a while again, but he still looked like something was bothering him. It was easy to ignore before Ron asked them the question.

"So, do you guys like it here?"

"Oh, my God. Yes, you guys have the cutest stores and the greatest food!"

Blaise laughed at his girlfriend's answer and nodded, "I think it's pretty good. Not too far from home, and there's a good atmosphere here."

"I love it," Neville said frankly.

Whereas, Draco just shrugged and then slowly nodded.

Harry squared his jaw at this, ready to punch the kid right then and there. Was it his goal in life to piss everyone off? Unable to handle it anymore, the young Potter excused himself to the patio, sitting in one of the chairs. The night air comforted his heated skin, taking that rise away. 

Maybe, he'd sat out there for too long. Some of them were starting to peek out at him nervously every once in a while, as if checking in on him.

Perhaps, it was worth it to go back in.

With a sigh, the boy stood and moved towards the door. Not before Karma could catch up with him for his nasty thought processes during the day. Whether it means the negativity towards Draco or the general inappropriate thoughts he'd had towards the other new kids and some girls at the club, Karma was on him. Or, at least, that's the way it seemed when he crashed into someone just stepping out.

He'd heard a gasp, but nothing more. He was too caught up in looking towards the kitchen to see anything in front of him, because he hadn't expected something to just jump out in front of him like that. But from the initial bump, it seemed like he'd hit someone who carried, at the very least, something to drink.

In front of him was Draco Malfoy with cola down the front of his shirt, clumsily holding a plate with pizza on it. He didn't seem frightened or angry, just a little jostled and kind of wary. Harry hadn't even noticed himself start frowning. Reluctantly, he relaxed his face.

"Listen, I.. I was gonna bring you some food. I'm sorry about what happened at the club, and earlier," Draco sighed, eyes staying on the plate of pizza as he talked at Harry. "I thought, maybe, if you wanted to, we could talk or I could at least bring you some pizza before it gets devoured by the others."

"You know, i think it might just be me, but I'm not interested in soggy pizza," Harry answered after taking a breath. This kid seemed kind of talkative now, eyes noticeably tired and breath just barely hinting of alcohol. It was kind of hilarious. Not as much as Draco's face, pink like he'd been playing in the snow. 

"Should.. Should I.."

"How about we both head back in, take the box, and come back out," The taller boy leaned in a little bit, pointing towards the pizza box sitting on the kitchen counter. The rest of the crew had absconded to the living room, it seemed, leaving the box vulnerable.

A small huff, yet different from the rest, escaped Draco with an amused lift of his lips.

"Sounds like a plan."


	6. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What the fuck," An incredulous huff emerged from the boy. "You weren't even a full photographer, then?"
> 
> "Nope," He enunciated this with a bite of his pizza.
> 
> "You're better than anyone else I've been sent to see."
> 
> Draco was silent, frozen in shock. Sure, he knew he took good photos. He enjoyed it. But this was Harry Potter, famous rapper and general celebrity, A kid who seemed to hate Draco not even two hours ago, telling him that he'd done a good job. It was nice, and he nodded, taking another bite of his pizza.
> 
> "I mean it, I was going to come see you this weekend for more pictures."

"Just saying," Draco raised his hands, as though saying he was innocent. "Caramel is better than strawberry."

"You take that back right now," The older male laughed, flicking a piece of pepperoni at the other's head, "You're probably one of those nasty gremlins who like salted caramel stuff."

After dodging the flying pepperoni, the blond laughed and shrugged, "Salted caramel isn't bad. I just like caramel and dark chocolate better."

"Ew," Harry said eloquently, cringing at the thought of Draco's taste in food. "Chocolate and strawberries, though. How can you not like strawberry?"

"Strawberries are too sweet."

"No, they're not."

"Yes, they are. At least, they are too sweet for me. I can't really eat them, because they're so tart."

"Dear Lord, who art in heaven, look down on this child."

"Are you even religious?"

"Forgive him, for he knows not what he says."

Draco laughed, not having a response in mind for Harry. Soon enough, they were both quiet, laughter still pouring out in their breath and quickly fading. Then, the smaller boy's face fell. He was having fun with Harry and the rest of them now, but part of him still felt out of place. Like all this was wrong and wasn't real. He didn't know if he'd be able to handle it anymore. But tomorrow was the last day, he'd be home by Monday.

Perhaps, a visit to his mother's would help him. Talk this through with her and Aunt Andy?

Maybe plan a visit to Regulus?

"So, Kid," Harry sighed, laying back on the pool deck, "How long have you been doing photography and all this stuff?"

"A couple years, honestly. Not too long."

"Bullshit."

Draco shook his head, a laugh coming out naturally. 

"Well, how did you even start any of this?"

"Youtube, for the singing thing," The blond reached for another slice of pizza. "As for photography, I did a summer as an apprentice at Vince's. I came back last year as a lead apprentice, and this year, I'm an official photographer."

A beat.

"So, when you took my pictures.."

"Yeah."

"What the fuck," An incredulous huff emerged from the boy. "You weren't even a full photographer, then?"

"Nope," He enunciated this with a bite of his pizza.

"You're better than anyone else I've been sent to see."

Draco was silent, frozen in shock. Sure, he knew he took good photos. He enjoyed it. But this was Harry Potter, famous rapper and general celebrity, A kid who seemed to hate Draco not even two hours ago, telling him that he'd done a good job. It was nice, and he nodded, taking another bite of his pizza.

"I mean it, I was going to come see you this weekend for more pictures."

"You were?"

"Yeah. Why do you think I was in a bad mood? I was told that you went on vacation, and I was pretty bummed out."

Draco, once again, stayed quiet aside from a nod.

"Then I saw you at Olivander's, and you pretended that you didn't know me. Speaking of. Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you pretend you didn't know me?"

A long silence stretched between them that had Harry slowly getting up to stare at the kid stuffing his face with pizza. Draco looked anywhere but at him, face pulled back in regret and anxiety. Of course, his gaze eventually fell on haunting green eyes. He chewed a lot slower, swallowing and putting the slice on the box. 

"I'm not.." Draco shrugged, "I'm not good at conversations. If I would have mentioned that I recognized you, I would be expected to be more social and talk about how we know each other and stuff like that. Or they'd pay even more attention to me, and I couldn't.. do that."

"Why can't you do it?"

Another shrug.

"No, really. Why can't you handle the attention? You have so many talents and reasons to be the center of attention. You'd be the next Cinderella story with your life history. I mean, really. Humble kid with amazing abilities suddenly becoming a celebrity? The girls will be all over you," Harry rambled, talking with his hands and sitting up fully.

"I'm not like that," He mumbled. "I don't like people looking at me. I just want to create things and let others enjoy them. No.. No pressure to be perfect or good looking. I can't handle it."

"Stage fright," Draco was given an unimpressed gaze. "You have Stage fright."

"No, it's not-"

"It's okay, buddy. It goes away in time," Harry's voice became mockingly sweet, and he was leaning over, pushing and pulling on Draco's shoulder.

"Stop."

With a laugh, the taller boy brought Draco in for a hug. Despite all protests, the blond was swayed from side to side and given a sarcastic pat to his back. Draco tried pushing the other boy away, hands shaking at the feeling of Harry's chest because how awkward that thought was. Harry nuzzled his head into the crook of Draco's jaw, making the boy freak out internally and push a little harder. The pizza box was sent flying to the side, and the shorter boy was squeaking out protests now.

"Come on- Stop!"

It was retaliated with lips being placed at his neck, which made him jump a little and punch at Harry's shoulder. Then, air was pressed through Harry's mouth onto the skin, creating a loud noise. That caused them both to laugh, Draco's words getting a bit louder as his skin was nuzzled and given raspberries. 

\---------------

Harry pulled back when he finished his work of delivering zurberts. He grinned brightly as he was shoved to the side by the younger boy. A sense of adrenaline affected his mood, as well as the alcohol he'd consumed earlier on in the night. He was in a great mood now; especially after hearing Draco laugh.

He'd sounded like a child. Like a person.

He looked like one, too.

The young Potter observed the other boy closely, memorizing the sight of him.

He was sitting with his legs crossed. The clothes he'd been dressed in earlier were loosened and hanging off him a lot more. It made him look smaller and, somehow, more adorable. His hands were rubbing at the skin of his neck and jaw, where Harry had gotten saliva on him. The features across his face were scrunched up in disgust, a thick blush from embarrassment and laughter was settled there as well.

His hair was ruffled slightly from Harry's rough shoving and nuzzling, making the kid look like he just woke up.

After a few seconds of taking in this sight, Harry noticed something. This would make a great picture.

Not only that, Draco wasn't absolutely hideous. At least, not right now. He looked adorable, and it'd be a good candid photo. 

A jolt back to reality was given to Harry when Draco kicked him, complaining about something.

"What? It was funny!"

"No, it's not," The boy practically whined, laughter still laced in his breath.

With a scoff, the darker haired boy moved to get a slice of pizza. He laughed again, "You kicked the box all the way over here. What the hell?"

Draco said something, but it wasn't able to be heard. Besides, Harry was too busy enjoying the sweet taste of pizza and victory. 

The low heat of the food slid across his mouth, the taste of cheese and pepperoni becoming present across his tongue. After that luxurious first bite, he took his time chewing and swallowing, slowly turning back to Draco.

That avenging little shit.

The blond was a lot closer than before, actually in the process of running. He had a bright smile on his face, speaking his mischief. Preparing to fall backwards, Harry was shocked when Draco was only able to knock him back a couple steps. His left heel was just at the edge of the pool, the feeling of water under his feet. Taking a look at the way they were standing, he felt his cheeks sting from smiling so large.

He grabbed the boy by the arms and pulled him over the side of the pool, cracking up at the look on Draco's face as he fell in the water. Then, as a consoling gesture, he jumped in after the other boy.

\--

Once they both came up for air, voices were heard.

"What are you guys doing?"

"How come you didn't invite us?"

And in came the twins. Behind them was Blaise and Ron, both running excitedly. Only difference between the boys coming in and the two that had already been outside was that the Weasleys and Blaise had stripped down to their boxers. 

Pansy came out calmly, carrying a glass of soda with her. Her shades were on, and she had a hazy giggle. While Harry had been ogling, Draco must have given her a look. Because the first thing she said was: "I need to save my makeup for tomorrow, so I'm just coming out to keep an eye on you boys. And, unlike you lot, Neville is behaving. He fell asleep in the living room."

"I see," Draco mumbled, trying to pull himself up over the poolside to sit with her.

Harry couldn't help but pull him back in, cackling along with the twins. Ron was busy laying on his back and floating, too zoned out to really care about the others. This was jostled by his friend, whose dark head swam around him like a shark. Harry poked Ron's side, raising his head to grin at his friend.

\--

After their late night pool party, Harry woke up on the floor in the living room. It was comforting to see a familiar surrounding. His first independent place, his first home away from home. Something settled in his chest, creating peace for him. He was comforted and confused at the same time. Looking around, he noticed that, not only did they fall asleep in their wet clothes from the previous night, they had all fallen asleep on the floor. 

With another scoff, the boy sat up and looked next to him, feeling a cold arm near his wrist. 

Draco Malfoy.

This conundrum of a boy laying in front of him.

He couldn't handle attention. He had amazing talent. He was ugly, but he could be cute at any point as well. Harry found himself in some sort of pondering about the boy, especially with what he remembered of last night. Was that child who laughed so much last night the same as the man he'd seen the past while? Could someone change that much? 

And now, how would he act? Last night, Draco hadn't had too much to drink, but it was enough to loosen his lips. 

After that and their conversations, would the boy allow them to talk the same way or become closer friends?

Without thinking, Harry reached out and rubbed the other boy's hand, feeling just how cold he was. Jesus H. Christ, how was this kid that cold?

Taking another look around, it became apparent that the others had grabbed or were given blankets. Except Harry and Draco. That was more than likely because Harry was a naturally warm person, so he wouldn't need a blanket. Especially after being drunk. But this kid, obviously, wasn't like him. He was practically freezing, trembling more noticeable the longer Harry watched him. Then, the thought occurred to him that maybe he shouldn't be staring at him, and he decided to pull one of Fred's blankets, since the boy had grabbed two, and placed one over the blond.

Then he got up, intending on taking a shower and stealing some of Ron's clothes.

\--

If he was honest, the whole day was a blur after that. 

They went through the motions, getting up and getting prepared for the day. They split up when they got to the studio. Then again, the new kids had to go in for their testing today, all having different rooms and administrators. Harry didn't really get involved with it, tired after a good night and an early morning. 

His day was spent hanging out with Hermione and Ginny in the breakroom and going out to lunch with Hagrid.

Then he got a surprising call.

"Hey there, Harry!"

"Oh," He paused. "What's up, Delores?"

His tone fell a little bit, more out of confusion than the usual distaste for her. Usually Umbridge called to inform of firing, suspension, or emergency messages.

"I'm calling in place of Garrick or Minerva. They're currently occupied with testing and other procedures, and Hagrid took the rest of the day to visit with the Weasleys for Dear Charles' birthday. You are needed as company this evening for a certain Draco Malfoy in the editing and vocal department."

"Okay," He truly wasn't listening.

"And, Harry?"

"Yes, M'am?"

"Do behave. I wouldn't want to have to call in regards to my usual duty."

"Of course, M'am."

She was beginning to piss him off.

"I'm just saying, it would be in your best interest to put your best foot forward with this boy in representation of our company-"

"M'am, I have already met this 'boy', and we're on good terms. It will be fine."

"What do you mean, you've met him before?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business."

"Well, as an official of the company, I would say-"

"Thank you for the information, M'am. But it seems I need to go entertain a new talent. Best not give the company the wrong representation.'

"Harry Po-"

"Goodbye~"

He had never been more happy to hang up the phone.

\--

Not too long after that, he was sitting in the passenger seat with Ron at his side. The back of the truck was full of kids and booze.

"Ready for this?"

All Harry had to do was raise his eyebrows at his friend before they drove off.

They were in for a fun night out.

\-------------

Draco sat in the back of an unfamiliar truck, surrounded by his friends and the same guys from last night. Fred was too busy flashing everyone on the street with his chest to really care about the new Talents. George and the female Weasley were conversing with Blaise and Pansy.

This left Neville and Draco to feel uncomfortable, staring at the Budweiser bucket and the strange other teens. When their eyes met, they both cracked smiles. Neville began to laugh from how uncomfortable he was, and Draco just shrugged.

They were in for an interesting night out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter.  
> Next chapter should be longer!


	7. Getting Down To It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "-He's ugly! And-And a liar, and he has Stage Fright-"
> 
> Oh.
> 
> "He's so talented, and he doesn't do anything with it!"
> 
> Well, shit.
> 
> "Why would I like someone like that?'
> 
> Well, ain't that just a stab in the heart.

"So, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?"

"Hm?"

"Well, we're going to need to do something you like if tonight is gonna be good."

"Last night," Draco hesitated.

"What about it?"

"It was nice," His voice was plain, trying to go for stoic. He didn't want it to be obvious just how much he'd enjoy getting to relax. The whole scene had been surreal, like he was living in an afterschool special. Laughing with Harry, the whole pool party, and waking up to Harry pulling a blanket over him? It was trippy. Draco didn't want it to seem as though he was interested in a repeat. Though, it sounded wonderful.

Harry was silent as well, watching Draco. Emerald met a light livid color, analyzing. Then, the boy's lips pulled back in an impish grin.

"Got it."

"What?"

 

\--

This was going to be an interesting night, Harry nodded to himself.

After watching Draco act as though last night didn't exist other than calling it nice, there was a craving that sat deep in Harry's gut. The dark haired boy wanted to rock this kid's world, get him laughing and enjoying life. Just like last night, but better. He didn't want any conflict tonight, any irritation. None of it.

So, he met up with the twins and planned it out.

Pre-gaming was always fun, but that wasn't why he put the booze in the back. It was for once they got to their destination.

Tonight, there would be fireworks at the beach. It would be filled with people, fun, and excitement. Yet, there would be children and adults. Meaning: This wasn't just going to be a crazed twenty-somethings trip. Last night had started out like that, and Draco had been uncomfortable with it. Besides, now Harry had an excuse to invite parents and other friends to hang out with. Like a huge party on the beach.

"Are you sure the kid is gonna like this?"

"Yeah," Harry answered plainly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. He was sure Draco would love this.

"Really? Isn't this... Like, a little kid thing?"

"Fireworks are for everyone, Ron. And, what age did you start drinking booze?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Such an exciting childhood."

"Shut up," Ron barely finished before the two of them were laughing.

A breath fell from Harry's lips, and he laid his head back to relax on the ride there. The bright lights soon turned ambient as they made their way through LA. Half of him craved a cigarette, looking out the window at the bars as they passed, caught up in a halfhearted thought.

"Why are you trying so hard?"

Scrunching his face, the bottle eyed boy turned to his friend in confusion: "What?"

He over-enunciated as he straightened up. Harry wouldn't say he was trying hard at anything, really.

"You've been practically obsessed with this kid since he got here. You were nasty to him, then friendly, and now? Are you-?"

"No," He answered quickly, knowing exactly where Ron was going with that. "He's too ugly for me and you know it. Shy, mouse-y and a liar? No way. Not my type."

The ginger clamped his mouth shut for a while after that. He was more than prepared to call his friend out on his shit, but this was supposed to be a good night for all of them. Their parents would be coming, everyone would eat, drink, and have fun, and they wouldn't have to worry about anything. Ron didn't want to invoke Harry's attitude or cause a meltdown. To him, Draco wasn't exactly ugly. From what Pansy told him, the kid was just malnourished and working almost his whole life away. He couldn't deny that Draco did act pretty shy, but not the way Harry seems to act like he is. Not like those stereotypes where they are shy, sweet and innocent. Or even awkward. No, the kid held some sort of grace to him, quiet and out of the limelight as much as possible. He was ambitious, but not a peacock. He wasn't even a liar. At least, Ron didn't know what Harry meant by that.

"Bit more like a ferret," He eventually resolved to say.

It was worth it to see Harry Potter crack up.

\--

The scenery was amazing, and Draco didn't feel a shred of regret in how many pictures he took. None of them would require too much editing, and he felt something light up in his chest at the quality of it all. Neville eventually got into a conversation with Fred that Draco didn't take too much interest in. The blond was too occupied with the wind in his hair or the nice heat applied in the air. It just felt amazing to be out on the town. riding in the back of a well taken care of truck.

One of Draco's particular favorites was the picture of Ginny and Pansy getting the glow sticks broken. The two girls were laughing and pretending it took a lot of effort to break the glow sticks. Their faces were drawn in laughter, and the lighting showed the booze bucket well to show that it was a party-like atmosphere. In the foreground were the boys. Blaise, being photogenic as usual, just sat and smiled in his hilariously inappropriate sunglasses. The Weasley boys looked like imps, hairy messy and smiles wide. Neville had an air of peace about him, leaning back with a water bottle in his hand. His mouth was open, talking to Ginny fondly.

Staring at his phone, Draco smiled in melancholy. Part of him wished that there was some sort of way for him to be as great looking in pictures as everyone else seemed to be. Selfies were a process that frankly pissed the boy off. He had a few that turned out well, but there was so much work put into it. It wasn't worth it.

Casting those thoughts aside, He focused on the fact that they were turning down towards a beach. Golden light and laughter greeted them as they approached. Ron had to have stepped on the gas or something, because they were heading pretty quickly forwards. In actuality, Draco had just been distracted by the beauty of the beach, and his mind was having a bit of trouble catching up with him.

Soon enough, the vehicle stopped, and Ron parked them with the back of the truck facing the edge of the beach between the sand and grass. Fred and George hurried to jump out, running towards a van that had parked next to them. Watching for a moment, Draco recognized the faces vaguely, and he eventually drew together the connection. Molly and Arthur Weasley and the rest of their family, there were so many of them.

"Yeah, there's seven of us," Ginny narrated to Neville as she approached the end of the car. Standing at the end, she laughed as Percy came up quick to pick her up and swing her around. They were each other's favorite sibling, so it was a running joke that Ginny was Percy's Princess. Of course, that altered a bit when Percy got married last year. She was still Percy's Pretend Princess, but he had his Queen to care for.

As those two delved into their own conversation and walked over to their family, Draco didn't know what to do.

Looking around, he noticed that the other three had gone somewhere, but he couldn't see them over with the Weasleys. Squinting, the blond didn't think to look behind him. This caused him to jump as a hand clapped onto his arm.

"Hey," A voice came with it, shaking the smaller adult to his core. Once his gaze could settle again, he noticed that Ron stood next to him.

"While everyone's preoccupied with my family, wanna go with me to talk to Harry's?"

"Harry's what?"

"Family," Draco was given a 'duh' look before gestured to look behind him.

Two spaces away, a sleek black Explorer ran, illuminating four people. There were another four standing near them, but Draco assumed that was Harry, Pansy, Blaise, and Neville. The boy didn't really get to look to close before Ron pulled at the jacket he wore.

"C'mon."

Well, Olly Olly Oxen Free.

\--

Considering it was an impromptu invite, Harry was shocked to see that Everyone showed up. Hermione and Luna even pulled into the spare space between Ron's truck and Lily's car. He couldn't help but grin at how nice everything was.

Hugging his parents, he remembered how much he missed Sirius's shouts of excitement and his father's following chuckle; the proud smile that always rested on Moony's face or his mother's signature eye roll. It nearly brought a tear to his eye to introduce his family to everyone. Even if they'd met the majority before, there was something about giving the new kids -- who he'd come to trust in their short visit-- a glance into his life. His mother gave all of them hugs, and she delved into a conversation almost immediately with Pansy about her clothes and how nice they were. Moony didn't bother anyone really, standing by Neville and Blaise. He and James talked idly with the boys, allowing Sirius to have time to talk with his godson.

"So where's the boy?"

"What boy?"

The coy phrase wasn't overlooked, and Sirius cackled.

"There has to be something here, Harry. It's not often we get to meet up with the Weasley's. Are you and Ron finally-?"

Harry shoved a hand over his godfather's mouth, laughing and shaking his head. "No, no. It's not that."

"Then what's going on?"

"Well, you know how Ollivander has us artists give tours for incoming talents?"

'Yeah?"

"Well, I got assigned to one, and he isn't exactly... interested in what I call fun. He likes simple get-togethers like pool parties and things like this. So I looked around, and Fred told me there would be fireworks tonight."

"So you took the chance to invite everyone," Sirius looked proud in the vague lighting.

"Everyone I could think of, yeah," Harry breathed out, smiling.

There was a bit of silence before Sirius had to ask.

"So, you like this boy?"

With a scoff, the younger adult rolled his eyes, "No, I don't. You're the second person to ask. I don't like him."

"And, why not?"

"Why not," He repeated as though he were a parrot, "He's ugly! And- And a liar, and he has Stage Fright of all things. He's so talented, and he doesn't do anything with it! Why would I like someone like that?"

His godfather met him with a stern gaze. Harry didn't understand it, seeing it as he hadn't said anything wrong or at least nothing that wasn't true. That's just what he thought of the Malfoy kid. It's not like it was unjustified. Then, Sirius's face melded into a false fondness and he looked past Harry.

"Hello there," The man greeted, and Harry heard a vague growl from Ron.  
\--

Naturally, Draco had gone with Ron when asked to, and they spent a few moments with each set of people.

Lily had hugged Draco, properly frightening the boy whilst comforting him. She touched his hair and told him how pretty it was. Thankfully, James came to his rescue while Ron went to talk to Neville for a moment.

"Well, hi," The messy haired man greeted, a laugh hidden within his words.

It took him a moment to think of a reply. "Hi."

"May I ask what your name is, my boy?"

"Ah- Draco," He couldn't even think of giving his last name.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Draco."

"It's nice to-"

"I don't mean to cut you short, but I think Ron wants you to go with him," James spoke gently now, nudging the smaller boy towards the Weasley. He and his wife agreed already that they liked this Draco kid. The boy had reminded them of their son at a younger age, but also of the other child that was with them, Neville. Neville and Draco were definitely little sweethearts in the Potter's eyes.

"Okay," Draco answered softly, moving to follow Ron.

The ginger just about jumped with excitement. "Just wait until you meet Sirius, man. He's the best! He's really funny, and he makes everything so chill, like fuck."

It comforted the singer quite a bit to hear that he would be introduced to someone that excited the others so much. Soon enough, he was guided towards Harry and a man with long, curly hair. Sirius was handsome and had a kind smile from a first glance. Kind of like an old king.

Too bad, Draco's attention was called somewhere else.

"-He's ugly! And-And a liar, and he has Stage Fright-"

Oh.

"He's so talented, and he doesn't do anything with it!"

Well, shit.

"Why would I like someone like that?'

Well, ain't that just a stab in the heart.

Draco was out of sorts a moment, swallowing the comment with a metaphorical grain of salt. A sharp tip felt as though it'd ripped through his insecurities and chest. Sure, he'd known he wasn't attractive. He wasn't asking Harry to like him in that sense. It wasn't like he wanted to be fancied by anyone. Why would they like someone like him? Draco had asked himself that question multiple times. It's just that... Hearing it out loud made it hurt a lot more.

Watching the man with curly hair pull on a facade, Draco had already resigned himself from the conversation.

"Hello there."

Ron growled low, looking ashamed for his friend. Noticing that there was a better way to handle the situation, Draco decided to act. Pulling on a bright smile of his own, the boy shook his head.

"Hi," The blond moved from Ron's side to stand in front of Sirius, "It's a pleasure to meet anyone related to Harry here. What might your name be?"

"Sirius, my boy," It was grand relief that filled this man's expression when the understanding first set in.

Draco would play along. He'd let this go, and later, he would deal with it himself.

"Sirius Black."

That called all thoughts to a stop, and Draco's jaw dropped. Staring up at this man, a rawness of emotion filled the child. Naturally, Ron and Harry stiffened as well, more from the drop of placidity and falseness from Draco's face. Leaving the boy looking like a child, lost and vulnerable. And, he indeed felt like a child. He felt like when he was nine and playing with Regulus, hearing the man speak highly of his brother. Sirius. He was eleven and watching the cops take Regulus away, being gripped by Bellatrix. Her cackle haunted his ears, and the memory shook him.

"Did you, ah... Happen to have a brother at all? Regulus?"

"Why, yes. Yes, I did," The man looked confused, brow coming forwards. He was also interested, noticing a familiarity about Draco.

"My name is Draco Malfoy."

Letting that hang in the air, Draco pulled his hand back and waited. He expected a punch, a yell, a scene. It was his fault Regulus was taken away. It was because of him that Bellatrix even framed the man. Therefore, Sirius would be upset with him. He, of all people, would know about him and what happened to his brother. He would be angry with Draco's existence, want revenge. So, the boy waited for a hit that never came.

And a hug that did.

\--

Harry didn't know what the fuck just happened. From Draco dropping all pretenses, knowing about someone that was related to him that Harry hadn't known about, and then being hugged by Sirius, the world was spinning too fast for Harry to keep up. How had Draco known about Sirius? Let alone, his brother? Why didn't Draco comment on anything that Harry just said about him? Was he being petty? Was he being magnanimous?

"What the fuck?"

Ron voiced his thought, confused. Harry met his gaze and nodded, but he was given a baleful glance in return. It seemed that Ron was pissed off for Draco. Which didn't even make sense seeing as he was Harry's friend, not Draco's. Why would he get mad?

"Do you all remember the Bellatrix situation?"

"No," Harry shook his head at Sirius's question.

"Guys," The man called towards Moony and James, nodding towards the boy he cradled to his chest. "Draco Malfoy."

"Malfoy," James enunciated the word carefully. Not only was he familiar with Regulus and his connection with the boy, but James had been a colleague to Lucius at one point. Looking again at this child, he noticed the resemblance. "You look like your father."

Draco froze at this, somehow going even more rigid than before.

Pansy was quick to come forward, pulling Draco away from Sirius, glancing around suspiciously, "Please, explain. You're scaring him."

"Regulus Black is my younger brother. I only visited once every so often, but he helped raise someone's kid not too long ago. A kid around our Harry's age. Alongside Andromeda, he helped raise Narcissa's child."

"Narcissa was a lover of Lucius Malfoy's. A fling when they were younger. Lucius Malfoy worked alongside me in university and the beginning of my career as an actor," James came in, staring intently at the boy.

Throughout this, all eyes drifted to Draco. The boy wouldn't look up, and he was pale. His limbs were trembling from where Pansy held him up. Harry didn't get this behavior. Why wasn't Draco explaining any of this shit? Why was he choosing to just wilt and look sick? He was fine not too long ago, and now he looked like a battered doll. Harry scoffed when he heard a ragged cough come from him.

"Come on, Malfoy. What's your issue?"

"Harry, if you have any sense of sympathy, you will shut the fuck up right now," Blaise growled, quick and damn near violent. "You don't know him, and you don't know what kind of life he's led. You don't even get what it feels like to feel trapped as soon attention fall on you. I may not know it well either, but I can recognize that it makes him sick and he can't think. It's happened enough for me to know. If you give him a fucking second to get himself together, he will be fine."

"Makes sense for Narcissa to raise him to be quiet and understanding. Lucius was a nightmare."

Draco's head perked up vaguely, eyes going towards James.

The man shook his head, "How about we have a private talk? You, me, Harry, and Sirius. Moony, Lily-Dear, could you please take the other kids over to the Weasleys?"

"Of course," Lily's voice was a clinical mother-like tone as she gestured for the others to follow.

Harry glared at Draco as he watched the boy be brought towards the car so he could sit. His father gave Draco a fucking Gatorade and told him to breathe. The kid wasn't sick, and he wasn't dying. There was nothing wrong with him. Before the boy could breathe a word, there was a hand clapped to his shoulder. Jolting just a bit, Harry glanced to see Sirius staring down at him, unrelenting.

"You don't quite get it, do you, Harry?"

"No- No, I don't," He burst into word, needing to catch up with himself. "He was fine just a minute ago. Why-"

"Harry James Potter," James interrupted. "Do you remember your first concert? You threw up just before you went on. You were scared because of everyone was looking at you, and you had to sing. Now, put this into perspective. Someone who may commonly experience anxiety, specifically social anxiety, being insulted as soon as they arrive. Then not even intending on it, opening themselves in front of more people than they'd like. And then- Having to hear new things that they didn't know about. We know more about him that he does, and I really should not have pointed that out in front of everyone. Therefore, I am sorry, Draco."

His son had been frozen under the stern tone of his father, beginning to understand. He came back to light when Draco was apologized to. The boy mumbled something that Harry couldn't hear before he took a swig of Gatorade.

"Now, we will make this short," Sirius spoke, voice a lot more smooth and empathetic. "It's good to see you, Draco. You probably won't recall, but I used to visit when you were a small child. How is Severus doing?"

"Snivellus?" Harry's father sounded pleasantly surprised by that, almost excited.

"Don't call him that," Draco's voice hardly held any venom, sounding genuinely upset more than angry.

Backpedaling, James nodded, "You're right. Eh, that's childish of me. I'm sorry, Draco."

Draco simply nodded. It made Harry scoff, how dare he talk to James fucking Potter like that? Force him to apologize for something silly?

"He's fine. His shop is doing really well, and he may be getting a second location."

"Oh," Sirius sounded surprised by this, blinking at Draco's answer. "That's good. And, your mother?"

"She's finally where she wants to be in life. She's a nurse and successful, Aunt Andy works at the library, and I moved in with my friends. Now.. Ah, Now, we're being considered for Ollivander's."

"Well, if you're truly a Malfoy, it won't take much for you to get in."

"As a Black, you will definitely be in."

The second comment made Malfoy perk up, comforted. Sirius smiled, looking almost fatherly as he watched Draco look away.

"He and his friends were already accepted last night. This was just a last night get together."

Harry couldn't really help the way he sounded bitter. Draco was getting showered in attention by both James and Sirius. At the same time, the dark haired boy was beginning to understand and learn more about Draco's life. It made him feel bad for him, and Harry didn't like that.

"Then, how about we make this a good night?"

Harry had never been more grateful to hear Sirius's voice fade back into a 'let's party' tone.

\--

The night relaxed after that. Draco still felt dizzy and unstable on his feet, but he had Pansy to lean on. With how many people were there, it was easier for him to go unnoticed. That, and the night seemed to last forever. The Weasleys brought food and began to barbecue it on the grill offered to them. It seemed as though the atmosphere eased around them completely about a half an hour later. Laughter and splashes could be heard down on the beach. Cheers resounded from the adults when booze was brought out, and the children squealed their own chorus of ice cream.

While they ate, everyone stayed by the cars. Draco sat on the fender, halfway through his electrolyte drink and hamburger. Blaise leaned next to him while their companions crowded around food and decided where they wanted to be when the fireworks are set off. Quite a few of them, wanting to be daring, chose that they'd be going swimming near the fireworks. It briefly occurred to the blond to join, but he could easily sit in the sand or the back of one of the vehicles.

"You doing okay, man?"

"Yeah," He sighed. "I just.."

"You couldn't handle it, I get ya. Trust me, it's fine. Besides, I didn't expect them to know your dad."

"Right? Like, I never really cared too much about my dad or even having one."

"Well, you technically had one."

"For like, eleven years, yeah. He was the shit."

"I only met him once, but, yeah. I'd say he was pretty awesome," Blaise nodded. Then he nudged his friend, "Especially if he helped make you who you are today.'

Draco laughed, and he nodded. "Thanks."

 -

Later on, the blond found himself lightly tipsy, laying on the large quilt Mrs. Weasley had brought. His head was in Pansy's lap, phone full of new pictures he'd upload to Instagram whenever he had a chance. For now, he wasn't exactly suited for it. Draco's mind was swimming with happiness from friends and food. For once, he felt like he belonged. Like he didn't have to be sorry for anything. Like he didn't have to worry.

Just before the fireworks would begin, he saw Pansy's face tighten with worry. There was a conversation Draco was unable to hear before Pansy's hands came off of his ears. After spending a moment trying to recall how they'd gotten there, the boy sat up to see Harry. The boy in front of him looked so painfully sober in comparison to Draco.

"Hey," The green-eyed boy called quietly. "Can we talk for a second?"

"Uh, yeah," Draco answered, oh so eloquently.

Being offered a hand, Draco let Harry lead him over towards the fence between the sand and grass, next to the parking lot. The other boy leaned on it, looking out at the water so pensively that it almost hurt. He waited, letting Draco make himself comfortable against the fence as well. 

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"Don't worry about it," It was hard to recognize his own voice in its temporary gentle quality.

"No, I need to.. I didn't know. It's anxiety, right? Or something? Is that why you get scared? Why you can't do.. people?"

The shorter adult sighed with a resigned smile, shrugging his shoulders. 

"Please, tell me," Harry sounded so harrowed, it was hard not to oblige.

Nodding, Draco complied, "I would assume it is. I just- I get overwhelmed by people looking at me, expecting something from me. I can't handle that, and I end up freezing up. I feel sick and dizzy and... Well, if that's what is called anxiety, then yeah."

"You remind me of Raj."

"Who?"

Harry laughed hesitantly for a moment, shaking his head, "A character from this show I used to watch. He was always nervous, specifically around women, but still. He couldn't talk to them. But with a little bit of booze in his system, and he was able to do anything."

"So, your meaning?"

"My meaning is that you would never say this stuff sober. I find it kind of funny that you only open up to, well, me in particular, when drunk. Why is that?"

The boys were leaning close now, not really recognizing it.

"I dunno," Draco answered honestly, "It's easier like this. Though, I think that has to do with how late at night it is."

"How late at night?"

"Yeah," The blond shrugged. "That's how I became friends with Blaise. A week-long camp where we were bunk buddies. When it got really late at night, we talked about just about anything with each other. He was the only one to meet Regulus that way."

"Are you gay?"

"What?"

Meeting each other's gaze, Draco and Harry both had their brows furrowed. Harry was in focus, thinking that Draco had a crush on Blaise. The way he talked about him, about a lot of things, it just made Harry think the other boy was interested in guys. Draco was just confused. Sure, he didn't care about gender when it came to dating, but that was because he never really liked anyone in particular. Besides, Blaise was his best friend -and he was dating Pansy! That just didn't make sense.

Before any more words were said, there was a flash, so bright and blinding. The world stood still for a moment, and then the white noise settled back in. Draco leaned back, gritting his teeth and rubbing at his eyes. Harry outright groaned before he realized what that might have been. A gasp came from him, and then there was a slew of swears.

"Fucking assclown paparazzi bitches!"

Draco stood stock still for a moment.

Well, shit.

-

Within the next hour or so, the picture was spread. Objectively, it was attractive, and it gave Draco an out-of-body experience. Their friends had laughed, because they knew the truth. A small discussion had to be made with the parents, who seriously thought that Draco and Harry just became a couple.

"You look just like your mum and I when we were your age," James exclaimed, proud of his son. 

"No- Dad, no," Never had there been such a whiny tone in Harry Potter's voice.

Pansy came up behind Draco, sitting behind him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders so she could see over them.

"You okay, honey?"

The boy was silent, staring at his phone.

The water, the moon, the beach: it was all perfectly laid in the background. Harry's face was brightly illuminated in the bright light. It wasn't the flashiest of whites, though. In the picture, it had more of a filtered tone. This brought color and definition to both boys. What really sold them was the focus in each other's eyes and how close they were. It looked like they were sharing the same air, even if they hadn't been. Had they? Draco really couldn't remember.

"Draco," His friend whispered softly, knowing what he was looking at in particular.

Himself. It wasn't a terrible picture, and he actually looked alright. His hair was ruffled, clothing loose. He looked small in comparison to Harry and, almost like an untouched piece of marble, he was so pale. Yet, it didn't make him look sickly. There was such a great contrast that it took away from the boy's insecurity.

"Is that what I look like?"

His voice wasn't quiet now. It was plain, awed and confused.

"Yes, Drac. You're beautiful."

-

Later on that night, as they settled back into the hotel, he recalled Harry's words.

A twinge touched his chest as he saw the picture yet again on his phone. He and Harry looked nice together. And Draco didn't quite mind Potter, to be honest. Sure, he was a bit selfish, a diva, and a brat; But he was confident, smart, and sweet. It took him a moment, but he could understand. He was capable. It made Draco actually wish that he and Harry could possibly be together. Scared to actually fall for him, Draco told himself no.

Besides, he heard Harry.

"No. I'm ugly," Draco spoke to the mirror, eyes looking almost dead as he did so. 

He couldn't love Harry, like him, or anything. Not if he had no chance.


End file.
